Doctrine ORM / Symfony - Can update child objects from parent object update? - symfony

Question

I have two entities, Quiz and Question with retlationship OneToMany (1 Quiz can have many questions).
I am trying to update the quiz object(id=19) through a put action in RestApi
adding to array questions 2 ids of question objects.
These ids are till that momment orphans, the quiz_id of them is null.
Quiz id 19 Before update:
{
"id": 19
"alias": "Test Quiz",
"questions": [],
"hasFifty": false,
"hasTip": false,
"hasNext": false
}
Json Data on Put action (Update Quiz object 19):
{
"alias": "quiz-bill",
"questions": [42,43],
"hasFifty": true,
"hasTip": true,
"hasNext": true
}
The response of put request shows me the update quiz object :
{
"id": 19,
"alias": "quiz-bill",
"questions": [
{
"id": 42,
"content": "test test test",
"helpText": "dummy dummy dummy"
},
{
"id": 43,
"content": "test test",
"helpText": "dummy"
}
],
"hasFifty": true,
"hasTip": true,
"hasNext": true
}
But this object is fake , when i select these the questions from database, they still have quiz_id null.
I was hopping to update the parent field(quiz_id) of these child objects from parent(Quiz) update, but this seems not cappable.
Is there anyone who has done something like that with doctrine and Symfony framework? Or can help me in this ?
Quiz Entity:
/**
* Quiz.
*
* #ORM\Table(name="quiz")
* #ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="ApiBundle\Repository\QuizRepository")
* #JMS\ExclusionPolicy("all")
*/
class Quiz
{
/**
* #var int
*
* #ORM\Column(name="id", type="integer")
* #ORM\Id
* #ORM\GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
* #JMS\Groups({"task", "quiz"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $id;
/**
* #var string
*
* #ORM\Column(name="alias", type="string", length=255)
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $alias;
/**
* #var ArrayCollection
*
* #ORM\OneToMany(targetEntity="Question", mappedBy="quiz")
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $questions;
/**
* #var bool
*
* #ORM\Column(name="hasFifty", type="boolean", nullable=true)
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $hasFifty;
/**
* #var bool
*
* #ORM\Column(name="hasTip", type="boolean", nullable=true)
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $hasTip;
/**
* #var bool
*
* #ORM\Column(name="hasNext", type="boolean", nullable=true)
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $hasNext;
/**
* Get id.
*
* #return int
*/
public function getId()
{
return $this->id;
}
/**
* Set alias.
*
* #param string $alias
*
* #return Quiz
*/
public function setAlias($alias)
{
$this->alias = $alias;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get alias.
*
* #return string
*/
public function getAlias()
{
return $this->alias;
}
/**
* Set hasFifty.
*
* #param bool $hasFifty
*
* #return Quiz
*/
public function setHasFifty($hasFifty)
{
$this->hasFifty = $hasFifty;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get hasFifty.
*
* #return bool
*/
public function getHasFifty()
{
return $this->hasFifty;
}
/**
* Set hasTip.
*
* #param bool $hasTip
*
* #return Quiz
*/
public function setHasTip($hasTip)
{
$this->hasTip = $hasTip;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get hasTip.
*
* #return bool
*/
public function getHasTip()
{
return $this->hasTip;
}
/**
* Add question.
*
* #param \ApiBundle\Entity\Question $question
*
* #return Quiz
*/
public function addQuestion(\ApiBundle\Entity\Question $question)
{
$this->questions[] = $question;
return $this;
}
/**
* Remove question.
*
* #param \ApiBundle\Entity\Question $question
*/
public function removeQuestion(\ApiBundle\Entity\Question $question)
{
$this->questions->removeElement($question);
}
/**
* Get questions.
*
* #return \Doctrine\Common\Collections\Collection
*/
public function getQuestions()
{
return $this->questions;
}
/**
* Set hasNext.
*
* #param bool $hasNext
*
* #return Quiz
*/
public function setHasNext($hasNext)
{
$this->hasNext = $hasNext;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get hasNext.
*
* #return bool
*/
public function getHasNext()
{
return $this->hasNext;
}
}
Question Entity:
/**
* Question.
*
* #ORM\Table(name="question")
* #ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="ApiBundle\Repository\QuestionRepository")
* #JMS\ExclusionPolicy("all")
*/
class Question
{
/**
* #var int
*
* #ORM\Column(name="id", type="integer")
* #ORM\Id
* #ORM\GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz" ,"question"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $id;
/**
* #var string
*
* #ORM\Column(name="content", type="text")
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz" ,"question"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $content;
/**
* #var string
*
* #ORM\Column(name="help", type="text", nullable=true)
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz" ,"question"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $helpText;
/**
* #var \ApiBundle\Entity\Quiz
*
* #ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity="Quiz", inversedBy="questions")
* #ORM\JoinColumn(name="quiz_id", referencedColumnName="id")
*/
protected $quiz;
/**
* #var \DateTime
*
* #Gedmo\Timestampable(on="create")
* #ORM\Column(name="createdAt", type="datetime")
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz" ,"question"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $createdAt;
/**
* #var \DateTime
*
* #Gedmo\Timestampable(on="update")
* #ORM\Column(name="updatedAt", type="datetime", nullable=true)
* #JMS\Groups({"quiz" ,"question"})
* #JMS\Expose
*/
private $updatedAt;
public function __construct()
{
$this->answers = new ArrayCollection();
}
/**
* Get id.
*
* #return int
*/
public function getId()
{
return $this->id;
}
/**
* Set content.
*
* #param string $content
*
* #return Question
*/
public function setContent($content)
{
$this->content = $content;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get content.
*
* #return string
*/
public function getContent()
{
return $this->content;
}
/**
* Set createdAt.
*
* #param \DateTime $createdAt
*
* #return Question
*/
public function setCreatedAt($createdAt)
{
$this->createdAt = $createdAt;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get createdAt.
*
* #return \DateTime
*/
public function getCreatedAt()
{
return $this->createdAt;
}
/**
* Set updatedAt.
*
* #param \DateTime $updatedAt
*
* #return Question
*/
public function setUpdatedAt($updatedAt)
{
$this->updatedAt = $updatedAt;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get updatedAt.
*
* #return \DateTime
*/
public function getUpdatedAt()
{
return $this->updatedAt;
}
/**
* Set helpText.
*
* #param string $helpText
*
* #return Question
*/
public function setHelpText($helpText)
{
$this->helpText = $helpText;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get helpText.
*
* #return string
*/
public function getHelpText()
{
return $this->helpText;
}
/**
* Set quiz.
*
* #param \ApiBundle\Entity\Quiz $quiz
*
* #return Question
*/
public function setQuiz(\ApiBundle\Entity\Quiz $quiz = null)
{
$this->quiz = $quiz;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get quiz.
*
* #return \ApiBundle\Entity\Quiz
*/
public function getQuiz()
{
return $this->quiz;
}
}
QuizController Put action:
/**
* Update an existing Quiz.
*
* #param Request $request
* #param int $id
*
* #return mixed
*
* #Operation(
* tags={"Quiz"},
* summary="Update an existing Quiz.",
* #SWG\Response(
* response="204",
* description="Returned when an existing Quiz has been successful updated"
* ),
* #SWG\Response(
* response="400",
* description="Return when errors"
* ),
* #SWG\Response(
* response="401",
* description="Returned when access is not authorized"
* ),
* #SWG\Response(
* response="404",
* description="Return when not found"
* )
* )
*
*
* #Rest\View(serializerGroups={"quiz"})
*/
public function putAction(Request $request, $id)
{
$quiz = $this->getDoctrine()->getRepository('ApiBundle:Quiz')->find($id);
if (null === $quiz || empty($quiz)) {
return new View(null, Response::HTTP_NOT_FOUND);
}
$form = $this->createForm(QuizType::class, $quiz, [
'method' => 'PUT',
'csrf_protection' => false,
]);
$form->submit($request->request->all(), false);
if (!$form->isValid()) {
return $form;
}
$em = $this->getDoctrine()->getManager();
$em->persist($quiz);
$em->flush();
return $quiz;
}
QuizType Form:
<?php
namespace ApiBundle\Form;
use Symfony\Component\Form\AbstractType;
use Symfony\Component\Form\FormBuilderInterface;
use Symfony\Component\OptionsResolver\OptionsResolver;
class QuizType extends AbstractType
{
/**
* {#inheritdoc}
*/
public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
{
$builder
->add('alias')
->add('hasFifty')
->add('hasTip')
->add('hasNext')
->add('videoUrl')
->add('questions')
->add('task');
}
/**
* {#inheritdoc}
*/
public function configureOptions(OptionsResolver $resolver)
{
$resolver->setDefaults(array(
'data_class' => 'ApiBundle\Entity\Quiz',
'csrf_protection' => false,
'allow_extra_fields' => true,
));
}
/**
* {#inheritdoc}
*/
public function getBlockPrefix()
{
return 'apibundle_quiz';
}
}

Answer 1

In the controller action you only persist the Quiz entity but you need to persist the related Question entities too. In a many to one relation the connection is saved in the table of the entity that can only have one related entity.
foreach($quiz->getQuestions() as $question) {
// I don't know if you need this line
$question->setQuiz($quiz);
$em->persist($question);
}
$em->persist($quiz);

Answer 2

As you are adding already persisted questions to your quiz you do not need to cascade persist but you still need to set your quiz to the added question:
// inside Quiz entity
public function addQuestion(\ApiBundle\Entity\Question $question)
{
$question->setQuiz($this);
$this->questions[] = $question;
return $this;
}
This is because (quoting from Doctrine ORM Documentation)
Doctrine will only check the owning side of an association for
changes.
Changes made only to the inverse side of an association are ignored.
Make sure to update both sides of a bidirectional association (or at
least the owning side, from Doctrine's point of view)
In your case the inverse side of the association is Quiz entity and the owning side is the Question entity.