How to access entity variable in controller function? - symfony

Question

I have a variable private $groupId; in entity. And there is a controller function public function settingsListAction(Request $request)
I want to access that groupId in controller function. How it can be achieved?
Edit
Controller function is
/**
* Get all settings content list
* #Route("settings", name="settings_list")
*/
public function settingsListAction(Request $request)
{
// Cannot edit at all.
//Fetch Current Financial Year target data to display that on "Road to paradise tab"
$entity = new J1Setting();
//do smthing
$groupIdValue = $entity->getGroup();
$settingsGroup = $this->getDoctrine()->getRepository('AppBundle:J1SettingGroup')->findAll();
$settingsList = $this->getDoctrine()->getRepository('AppBundle:J1Setting')->findBy(array('groupId' => groupIdValue));
return $this->render('default/settingsList.html.twig', array('settingsGroup' => $settingsGroup, 'settingsList' => $settingsList));
}
And entity is:
<?php
namespace AppBundle\Entity;
use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;
use AppBundle\Component\Annotation\J1Entity;
use Doctrine\Common\Collections\ArrayCollection;
/**
* J1Setting
*
* #ORM\Table(name="j1_settings", indexes={#ORM\Index(name="IDX_SName", columns={"name"})})
* #ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="AppBundle\Repository\J1SettingRepository")
* #J1Entity(auditClass="AppBundle\Component\Audit\J1AuditSetting")
*/
class J1Setting
{
/**
* #var integer
*
* #ORM\Column(name="setting_id", type="integer")
*
* #ORM\GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
*/
private $settingid;
/**
* #var string
*
* #ORM\Column(name="name", type="string", length=100, nullable=true)
*/
private $name;
/**
* #var string
*
* #ORM\Column(name="value", type="string", length=250, nullable=true)
*/
private $value;
/**
* #var string
*
* #ORM\Column(name="description", type="string", length=255)
*/
private $description;
/**
* #var integer
*
* #ORM\Column(name="group_id", type="integer")
* #ORM\Id
*/
private $groupId;
/**
* #var J1SettingGroup
*
* #ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity="J1SettingGroup", inversedBy="settings")
* #ORM\JoinColumns({
* #ORM\JoinColumn(name="group_id", referencedColumnName="id")
* })
*/
private $group;
/**
* #var string
*
* #ORM\Column(name="setting_type", type="string", length=100)
*/
private $settingType;
/**
* Get settingid
*
* #return integer
*/
public function getSettingId()
{
return $this->settingid;
}
/**
* Set name
*
* #param string $name
* #return J1Setting
*/
public function setName($name)
{
$this->name = $name;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get name
*
* #return string
*/
public function getName()
{
return $this->name;
}
/**
* Set value
*
* #param string $value
* #return J1Setting
*/
public function setValue($value)
{
$this->value = serialize($value);
return $this;
}
/**
* Get value
*
* #return string
*/
public function getValue()
{
return unserialize($this->value);
}
/**
* Return name replacing underscores with spaces
*
* #return mixed
*/
public function getFriendlyName(){
return str_replace('_', ' ', $this->getName());
}
/**
* Set description
*
* #param string $description
* #return J1Setting
*/
public function setDescription($description)
{
$this->description = $description;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get description
*
* #return string
*/
public function getDescription()
{
return $this->description;
}
/**
* Set groupId
*
* #param integer $groupId
* #return J1Setting
*/
public function setGroupId($groupId)
{
$this->groupId = $groupId;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get groupId
*
* #return integer
*/
public function getGroupId()
{
return $this->groupId;
}
/**
* Set settingType
*
* #param string $settingType
* #return J1Setting
*/
public function setSettingType($settingType)
{
$this->settingType = $settingType;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get settingType
*
* #return string
*/
public function getSettingType()
{
return $this->settingType;
}
/**
* Set group
*
* #param $group
* #return J1Setting
*/
public function setGroup($group = null)
{
$this->group = $group;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get group
*
* #return integer
*/
public function getGroup()
{
return $this->group;
}
}

Answer 1

you need to create a getter in your entity
public function getGroupId(){
return $this->groupId;
}
public function setGroupId($groupId){
$this->groupId = $groupId;
}
and in your controller:
$entity = new J1Setting();
$entity->setGroupId(123);
$groupIdValue = $entity->getGroupId();
var_dump($goupIdValue) //outputs 123

Answer 2

When using Doctrine, you shouldn't put foreign keys into an entity.
This means, groupId should not be part of your J1Setting entity. If you want to access the id of the associated group, then you have to use $entity->getGroup()->getId(). Obviously, this only works, if the entity actually has a group!