Drupal 7 Entity & Entity API

Drupal 7 development done right:
Leverage entities!
Presented by Wolfgang Ziegler

Who I am...
Wolfgang Ziegler // d.o. fago
wolfgangziegler.net
twitter.com/the_real_fago

Entity API

So this talk is about the

Drupal 7's entity API

and the Entity API module
http://drupal.org/7
http://drupal.org/project/entity

What are entities?

Entities are the foundation for fields, but
Entity != Fieldable Entity

While most entity types are fieldable, not all are.

Data
that is integrated into Drupal

Developing with entities

Base your module upon entities (e.g. Search-api)

Store data

Provide new entity types

Extend other entity types

Fields, custom properties

Drupal 7 Entity API
Entities are required to be

Loadable - entity_load()

Identifiable

Drupal 7 – Entity hooks
hook_entity_load(),
hook_entity_presave(),
hook_entity_insert(), hook_entity_update(),
hook_entity_delete(),
hook_entity_prepare_view, hook_entity_view().

Drupal 7: Metadata

Entity-info (bundles, view-modes)

Labels (via entity_label())

URIs (via entity_uri())

EntityFieldQuery

API for querying entities

Conditions on entity properties as well as fields

Query for entity properties and fields (in a single
storage) at once

Query across multiple entity types (only fields).

Extendable via hook_entity_query_alter().

Entity API module

So far, this all is in Drupal 7.

The Entity API module builds upon that to

ease dealing with any entity type

easy providing new entity type
(optionally fieldable, exportable)

Working with entities...

entity_load(), entity_save(), entity_create(), entity_delete()

entity_view(), entity_access(), entity_label(), entity_uri()

entity_id(), entity_extract_ids()

entity_export(), entity_import()

entity_get_info(), entity_get_property_info()
core

Entity property info

A hook defined by the Entity API module.

Allows modules to describe entity properties
(including fields).

Properties have to be described by a set of
defined data types ('text', 'date', 'user', ..)

Includes human readable description, 'getter
callback', optionally a setter, access permissions.

Property info example
// Add meta-data about the basic node properties.
$properties = &$info['node']['properties'];
$properties['title'] = array(
'label' => t("Title"),
'description' => t("The title of the node."),
'setter callback' => 'entity_property_verbatim_set',
'schema field' => 'title',
'required' => TRUE,
);
$properties['author'] = array(
'label' => t("Author"),
'type' => 'user',
'description' => t("The author of the node."),
'getter callback' => 'entity_metadata_node_get_properties',
'setter callback' => 'entity_metadata_node_set_properties',
'setter permission' => 'administer nodes',
'required' => TRUE,
'schema field' => 'uid',
);

Entity metadata wrappers

Some useful wrapper classes that ease dealing
with entities and their properties.
$wrapper = entity_metadata_wrapper('node', $node);
$wrapper = entity_metadata_wrapper('node', $nid);
$wrapper->author->profile->field_name->value();
$wrapper->author->profile->field_name->set('New name');
$wrapper->language('de')->body->summary->value();
$wrapper->author->mail->access('edit') ? TRUE : FALSE;
$wrapper->author->roles->optionsList();
$wrapper->field_files[0]->description = 'The first file';
$wrapper->save();
$node = $wrapper->value();

How to provide a new entity type?

Write your own controller, implement CRUD and
hooks.

Make use of the Entity API module

Using the entity API module....

Implement hook_entity_info().

Define your schema in hook_schema().

Best practice:
{entity_type}_load(),
{entity_type}_create(),
{entity_type}_save(),
{entity_type}_delete_multiple(), ...

EntityAPIController: What it does

It invokes all CRUD related hooks for you!

Document them (template handbooks)→

Invokes field-attachers for you.

Allows using classes...

MyEntity extends Entity

Eases customizing labels, URIs, display or saving.
$entity->entityType();
$entity->identifier();
$entity->view();
$entity->delete();
$entity->save();
$entity->label(), $entity->uri(), $entity->entityInfo(), ..

Fields

Entity-info: Define your entity type as fieldable.

Field attachers are called (including 'view')

Add bundles, optionally exportable:

Add a separate entity type for bundles
Bundle entity (Profile type, Profile)→

Specify the bundle entity type to be 'bundle of'
another entity type (Profile type is bundle of Profile)

Exportable entities

Alternative to ctools exportables

Make use of existing CRUD functionality

Machine-names

Syncs defaults to the database to support hooks
→ provides usual default hook + CRUD hooks
allows using the DB for sorting, filtering, ...→

Make it exportable

Specify your entity type as exportable in
hook_entity_info() + use
EntityAPIControllerExportable

Make use of machine names.
→ specify a 'name' key under entity-keys.

Add entity_exportable_schema_fields() to your
schema ('module', 'status').

Import / Export

$export = entity_export($entity_type, $entity);

$entity = entity_import($entity_type, $export);

By default: Export as JSON

Example profile type in code
/**
* Implements hook_default_profile2_type().
*/
function recruiter_resume_default_profile2_type() {
$items = array();
$items['resume'] = entity_import('profile2_type', '{
"userCategory" : false,
"userView" : false,
"type" : "resume",
"label" : "Resume",
"weight" : "0",
"data" : { "use_page" : 1},
"rdf_mapping" : []
}');
return $items;
}

Module integrations

Very basic entity property info (read-only)

Views integration

Rules integration (events)

Token support for all entity properties via the
“Entity tokens” module

Features integration (for exportables)

Add property info!

Get Views integration (specify schema-field)

Get tokens for all properties, via entity tokens.

Obtain support of modules building upon it like

Rules

Search API

Restful Web Services (short: RestWS)

Entity property info – Best practices

Do not provide the ids of related entities:
Wrong: node:uid & node:author
Right: node:author (data type: user)
→ Entity references having a 'schema-field' get
Views integration.

Admin UI

Enable the admin UI via hook_entity_info().

Provide
an entity form and
an access callback for entity_access().

Customize it by overriding the controller.

UI suits well for managing configuration.

Entity Form: Best practices

Use form id {entity_type}_form

Put the entity in $form_state[{entity_type}]

Update the entity in $form_state in your submit
handlers and rebuild / finish.

Use entity_form_submit_build_entity() to create
{entity_type}_form_submit_build_{entity_type},
which submit handlers may re-use.

Entity API docs
→ in code entity.api.php
→ in the handbooks
http://drupal.org/node/878784
→ Learn from examples!

Learn from examples...

Profile2:

Fieldable profile entity

Exportable bundle entity (Profile type)

Admin UI implemented via the Entity API UI

Views / Rules / Features integration via Entity API

Test-module, Field-collection, Organic groups,
Rules, Message, Drupal commerce, ....

D7 Development done right?

Work with Drupal's data by building upon entities
and fields.

Manage your data

using new entity types

Fields or entity properties

API: Does it work without forms?

Drupal 8

Classes EntityInterface→

basic CRUD, UUID support built in

See g.d.o./node/171554

CMI API for configuration→
Deprecating configuration entities?

Drupal 8

Entity Property API

hook_entity_property_info()

Close the gap between properties and fields

Translation

Access

Validation

Drupal 7 Entity & Entity API

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