PHP Data Access to Multiple Records - php

Question

So currently I am using a pattern to grab a data entry (record). It works great for me if I only need to work with one record. However if more than one record is involved it gets more complicated.
Here is my base pattern, using a contacts table:
class Contacts_Entry {
private $_entry = Array('contact_id' => false,
'name' => false,
'email' => false,
'phone' => false,
'type' => false );
private $_entryKey = Array('contact_id' => 'i',
'name' => 's',
'email' => 's',
'phone' => 's',
'type' => 'i' );
public function __call($_method, $_arguments)
{
/* API: Get */
if (substr($_method, 0, 3) == 'get') {
return $this->_getElement(camelCaseToUnderscore(substr($_method, 3)));
}
/* API: Set */
if (substr($_method, 0, 3) == 'set' && count($_arguments) == 1) {
return $this->_setElement(camelCaseToUnderscore(substr($_method, 3)), $_arguments[0]);
}
unset($_method,$_arguments);
return false;
}
private function _getElement($_element)
{
if (!array_key_exists($_element, $this->_entry)) { return false; }
if ($this->_entryKey[$_element] == 's') {
if (!strlen($this->_entry[$_element])) { return false; }
} elseif ($this->_entryKey[$_element] == 'i') {
if (!strlen($this->_entry[$_element]) || !is_numeric($this->_entry[$_element])) { return false; }
} elseif ($this->_entryKey[$_element] == 'a') {
if (!count($this->_entry[$_element])) { return false; }
} else {
return false;
}
return $this->_entry[$_element];
}
private function _setElement($_element, $_data)
{
if (!array_key_exists($_element, $this->_entry)) { return false; }
if ($this->_entryKey[$_element] == 's') {
if (!strlen($_data)) { return false; }
} elseif ($this->_entryKey[$_element] == 'i') {
if (!strlen($_data) || !is_numeric($_data)) { return false; }
} elseif ($this->_entryKey[$_element] == 'a') {
if (!count($_data)) { return false; }
} else {
return false;
}
if ($this->_entry[$_element] = $_data) { return true; }
return false;
}
public function load($_entryId)
{
// Code to load an entry into $this->_entry;
}
public function save()
{
// Code to save an entry from $this->_entry;
}
}
As you can see, this works very well for single records. I can even pass this object to Smarty, and use the getMethod()s inside a template.
But what I need help thinking up, is a good way to take this kind of implementation and make it work for multiple records, in a clean manner.

Answer 1

You're reinventing the wheel. Have a look at existing ORM's (or at the ORM article in the wikipedia) first, before deciding that you need to implement one yourself.

Answer 2

Why don't you simply use it as a list of objects (array). So you can iterate through the array. Each array node has its own object. That's all.