WPORM - Lightweight WordPress ORM

WPORM is a lightweight Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) library for WordPress plugins. It provides an Eloquent-like API for defining models, querying data, and managing database schema, all while leveraging WordPress's native $wpdb database layer.

Documentation

Features

Model-based data access: Define models for your tables and interact with them using PHP objects.
Schema management: Create and modify tables using a fluent schema builder.
Query builder: Chainable query builder for flexible and safe SQL queries.
Attribute casting: Automatic type casting for model attributes.
Relationships: Define hasOne, hasMany, belongsTo, belongsToMany, and hasManyThrough relationships.
Events: Hooks for model lifecycle events (creating, updating, deleting).
Global scopes: Add global query constraints to models.

Installation

With Composer (Recommended)

You can install WPORM via Composer. In your plugin or theme directory, run:

composer require mjkhajeh/wporm

Then include Composer's autoloader in your plugin bootstrap file:

require_once __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';

Manual Installation

Place the ORM directory in your plugin folder.
Include the ORM in your plugin bootstrap:

require_once __DIR__ . '/ORM/Helpers.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/ORM/Model.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/ORM/QueryBuilder.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/ORM/Blueprint.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/ORM/SchemaBuilder.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/ORM/ColumnDefinition.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/ORM/DB.php';
require_once __DIR__ . '/ORM/Collection.php';

Defining a Model

Create a model class extending MJ\WPORM\Model:

use MJ\WPORM\Model;
use MJ\WPORM\Blueprint;

class Parts extends Model {
    protected $table = 'parts';
    protected $fillable = ['id', 'part_id', 'qty', 'product_id'];
    protected $timestamps = false;

    public function up(Blueprint $blueprint) {
        $blueprint->id();
        $blueprint->integer('part_id');
        $blueprint->integer('product_id');
        $blueprint->integer('qty');
        $blueprint->index('product_id');
        $this->schema = $blueprint->toSql();
    }
}

Note: When using $table in custom SQL queries, do not manually add the WordPress prefix (e.g., $wpdb->prefix). The ORM automatically handles table prefixing. Use $table = (new User)->getTable(); as shown in the next, which returns the fully-prefixed table name.

Schema Management

Create or update tables using the model's up method and the SchemaBuilder:

use MJ\WPORM\SchemaBuilder;

$schema = new SchemaBuilder($wpdb);
$schema->create('parts', function($table) {
    $table->id();
    $table->integer('part_id');
    $table->integer('product_id');
    $table->integer('qty');
    $table->index('product_id');
});

Unique Indexes (Eloquent-style)

You can add a unique index to a column using Eloquent-style chaining:

$table->string('email')->unique();
$table->integer('user_id')->unique('custom_index_name');

For multi-column unique indexes, use:

$table->unique(['col1', 'col2']);

This works for all column types and matches Eloquent's API.

Basic Usage

Creating a Record

$part = new Parts(['part_id' => 1, 'product_id' => 2, 'qty' => 10]);
$part->save();

Querying Records

// Get all parts
$all = Parts::all();

// Find by primary key
$part = Parts::find(1);

// Where clause
$parts = Parts::query()->where('qty', '>', 5)->orderBy('qty', 'desc')->limit(10)->get(); // Limit to 10 results

// Raw ORDER BY example
$parts = Parts::query()->where('qty', '>', 5)
    ->orderByRaw('FIELD(name, ?, ?)', ['Widget', 'Gadget'])
    ->limit(10)
    ->get();

// This allows custom SQL ordering, e.g. sorting by a specific value list. Bindings are safely passed to $wpdb->prepare.

// First result
$first = Parts::query()->where('product_id', 2)->first();

Querying by a Specific Column

You can easily retrieve records by a specific column using the query builder's where method. For example, to get all parts with a specific product_id:

$parts = Parts::query()->where('product_id', 123)->get();

Or, to get the first user by email:

$user = User::query()->where('email', '[email protected]')->first();

You can also use other comparison operators:

$recentUsers = User::query()->where('created_at', '>=', '2025-01-01')->get();

This approach works for any column in your table.

Creating or Updating Records: updateOrCreate

WPORM provides an updateOrCreate method, similar to Laravel Eloquent, for easily updating an existing record or creating a new one if it doesn't exist.

Usage:

// Update if a user with this email exists, otherwise create a new one
$user = User::updateOrCreate(
    ['email' => '[email protected]'],
    ['name' => 'John Doe', 'country' => 'US']
);

// Disable global scopes for this call
$user = User::updateOrCreate(
    ['email' => '[email protected]'],
    ['name' => 'John Doe', 'country' => 'US'],
    false // disables global scopes
);

The first argument is an array of attributes to search for.
The second argument is an array of values to update or set if creating.
The optional third argument disables global scopes if set to false (default is true).
Returns the updated or newly created model instance.

This is useful for upsert operations, such as syncing data or ensuring a record exists with certain values.

Creating or Getting Records: firstOrCreate and firstOrNew

Inserting Records: insertOrIgnore

WPORM provides an insertOrIgnore method, similar to Laravel Eloquent, for inserting one or multiple records and ignoring duplicate key errors (such as unique constraint violations).

Usage:

// Insert a single user, ignore if email already exists
$success = User::insertOrIgnore([
    'email' => '[email protected]',
    'name' => 'Jane Doe',
    'country' => 'US'
]);

// Insert multiple users, ignore duplicates
$data = [
    ['email' => '[email protected]', 'name' => 'User One'],
    ['email' => '[email protected]', 'name' => 'User Two'],
    ['email' => '[email protected]', 'name' => 'User One Duplicate'], // duplicate email
];
$success = User::insertOrIgnore($data);

Returns true if the insert(s) succeeded or were ignored due to duplicate keys.
Returns false on other errors.
Uses MySQL's INSERT IGNORE for safe upsert-like behavior.

This is useful for bulk imports or situations where you want to avoid errors on duplicate records.

WPORM also provides firstOrCreate and firstOrNew methods, similar to Laravel Eloquent, for convenient record retrieval or creation.

firstOrCreate Usage:

// Get the first user with this email, or create if not found
$user = User::firstOrCreate(
    ['email' => '[email protected]'],
    ['name' => 'Jane Doe', 'country' => 'US']
);

// Disable global scopes for this call
$user = User::firstOrCreate(
    ['email' => '[email protected]'],
    ['name' => 'Jane Doe', 'country' => 'US'],
    false // disables global scopes
);

Returns the first matching record, or creates and saves a new one if none exists.
The optional third argument disables global scopes if set to false (default is true).

firstOrNew Usage:

// Get the first user with this email, or instantiate (but do not save) if not found
$user = User::firstOrNew(
    ['email' => '[email protected]'],
    ['name' => 'Jane Doe', 'country' => 'US']
);

// Disable global scopes for this call
$user = User::firstOrNew(
    ['email' => '[email protected]'],
    ['name' => 'Jane Doe', 'country' => 'US'],
    false // disables global scopes
);
if (!$user->exists) {
    $user->save(); // Save if you want to persist
}

Returns the first matching record, or a new (unsaved) instance if none exists.
The optional third argument disables global scopes if set to false (default is true).

These methods are useful for ensuring a record exists, or for preparing a new record with default values if not found.

Updating a Record

$part = Parts::find(1);
$part->qty = 20;
$part->save();

Deleting a Record

$part = Parts::find(1);
$part->delete();

Pagination

WPORM supports Eloquent-style pagination with the following methods on the query builder:

paginate($perPage = 15, $page = null)

Returns a paginated result array with total count and page info:

$result = User::query()->where('active', true)->paginate(10, 2);
// $result = [
//   'data' => Collection,
//   'total' => int,
//   'per_page' => int,
//   'current_page' => int,
//   'last_page' => int,
//   'from' => int,
//   'to' => int
// ]

simplePaginate($perPage = 15, $page = null)

Returns a paginated result array without total count (more efficient for large tables):

$result = User::query()->where('active', true)->simplePaginate(10, 2);
// $result = [
//   'data' => Collection,
//   'per_page' => int,
//   'current_page' => int,
//   'next_page' => int|null
// ]

See Methods.md for more details and options.

Attribute Casting

Add a $casts property to your model:

protected $casts = [
    'qty' => 'int',
    'meta' => 'json',
];

Array Conversion and Casting

Call ->toArray() on a model or a collection to get an array representation with all casts applied.
Built-in types (e.g. 'int', 'bool', 'float', 'json', etc.) are handled natively and will not be instantiated as classes.
Custom cast classes must implement MJ\WPORM\Casts\CastableInterface.

Example:

protected $casts = [
    'user_id'    => 'int',
    'from'       => Time::class, // custom cast
    'to'         => Time::class, // custom cast
    'use_default'=> 'bool',
    'status'     => 'bool',
];

$model = Times::find(1);
$array = $model->toArray();

$collection = Times::query()->get();
$arrays = $collection->toArray();

Custom cast classes will be instantiated and their get() method called.
Built-in types will be cast using native PHP logic.

Relationships

WPORM supports Eloquent-style relationships. You can define them in your model using the following methods:

hasOne: One-to-one

public function profile() {
    return $this->hasOne(Profile::class, 'user_id');
}

hasMany: One-to-many

public function posts() {
    return $this->hasMany(Post::class, 'user_id');
}

belongsTo: Inverse one-to-one or many

public function user() {
    return $this->belongsTo(User::class, 'user_id');
}

belongsToMany: Many-to-many (with optional pivot table and keys)

public function roles() {
    return $this->belongsToMany(Role::class, 'user_role', 'user_id', 'role_id');
}

hasManyThrough: Has-many-through

public function comments() {
    return $this->hasManyThrough(Comment::class, Post::class, 'user_id', 'post_id');
}

All relationship methods return either a model instance or a Collection of models. You can use them just like in Eloquent.

Relationship Existence Filtering: whereHas, orWhereHas, has

whereHas('relation', function($q) { ... }): Filter models where the relation exists and matches constraints.
orWhereHas('relation', function($q) { ... }): OR version of whereHas.
has('relation', '>=', 2): Filter models with at least (or exactly, or at most) N related records. Operator and count are optional (defaults to ">= 1").

Examples:

// Users with at least one post
User::query()->has('posts')->get();

// Users with at least 5 posts
User::query()->has('posts', '>=', 5)->get();

// Users with exactly 2 posts
User::query()->has('posts', '=', 2)->get();

// Users with at least one published post
User::query()->whereHas('posts', function($q) {
    $q->where('published', 1);
})->get();

Custom Attribute Accessors/Mutators

public function getQtyAttribute() {
    return $this->attributes['qty'] * 2;
}

public function setQtyAttribute($value) {
    $this->attributes['qty'] = $value / 2;
}

Appended (Computed) Attributes

You can add computed (virtual) attributes to your model's array/JSON output using the $appends property, just like in Eloquent.

protected $appends = ['user'];

public function getUserAttribute() {
    return get_user_by('id', $this->user_id);
}

Appended attributes are included in toArray() and JSON output.
The value is resolved via a get{AttributeName}Attribute() accessor or, if not present, by a public property.
Do not set appended attributes in retrieved(); use accessors instead.

Transactions

Parts::query()->beginTransaction();
// ...
Parts::query()->commit();
// or
Parts::query()->rollBack();

Custom Queries

You can execute custom SQL queries using the underlying $wpdb instance or by extending the model/query builder. For example:

// Using the query builder for a custom select
$results = Parts::query()
    ->select(['part_id', 'SUM(qty) as total_qty'])
    ->where('product_id', 2)
    ->orderBy('total_qty', 'desc')
    ->limit(5) // Limit to top 5 parts
    ->get();

// Using $wpdb directly for full custom SQL
global $wpdb;
$table = (new Parts)->getTable();
$results = $wpdb->get_results(
    $wpdb->prepare("SELECT part_id, SUM(qty) as total_qty FROM $table WHERE product_id = %d GROUP BY part_id", 2),
    ARRAY_A
);

You can also add custom static methods to your model for more complex queries:

class Parts extends Model {
    // ...existing code...
    public static function partsWithMinQty($minQty) {
        return static::query()->where('qty', '>=', $minQty)->get();
    }
}

// Usage:
$parts = Parts::partsWithMinQty(5);

Raw Table Queries with DB::table()

WPORM now supports Eloquent-style raw table queries using the DB class:

use MJ\WPORM\DB;

// Update posts with IDs 3, 4, 5
db::table('post')
    ->whereIn('id', [3, 4, 5])
    ->update(['title' => 'Updated Title']);

// Select rows from any table
db::table('custom_table')->where('status', 'active')->get();

See DB.md for more details.

Complex Where Statements

WPORM now supports complex nested where/orWhere statements using closures, similar to Eloquent:

$users = User::query()
    ->where(function ($query) {
        $query->where('country', 'US')
              ->where(function ($q) {
                  $q->where('age', '>=', 18)
                    ->orWhere('verified', true);
              });
    })
    ->orWhere(function ($query) {
        $query->where('country', 'CA')
              ->where('subscribed', true);
    })
    ->get();

You can still use multiple where calls for AND logic, and orWhere for OR logic:

$parts = Parts::query()
    ->where('qty', '>', 5)
    ->where('product_id', 2)
    ->orWhere('qty', '<', 2)
    ->get();

Note: For very advanced SQL, you can always use $wpdb directly.

You can also use $wpdb directly for complex SQL logic:

global $wpdb;
$table = (new User)->getTable();
$results = $wpdb->get_results(
    $wpdb->prepare(
        "SELECT * FROM $table WHERE (country = %s AND (age >= %d OR verified = %d)) OR (country = %s AND subscribed = %d)",
        'US', 18, 1, 'CA', 1
    ),
    ARRAY_A
);

Using newQuery()

The newQuery() method returns a fresh query builder instance for your model. This is useful when you want to start a new query chain, especially in custom scopes or advanced use cases. It is functionally similar to query(), but is a common convention in many ORMs.

Example:

// Start a new query chain for the User model
$query = User::newQuery();
$activeUsers = $query->where('active', true)->get();

You can use newQuery() anywhere you would use query(). Both methods are available for convenience and compatibility with common ORM patterns.

Timestamp Columns

You can customize how WPORM handles timestamp columns in your models. By default, models will automatically manage created_at and updated_at columns if $timestamps = true (the default).

Example: Customizing Timestamp Column Names

use MJ\WPORM\Model;
use MJ\WPORM\Blueprint;

class Article extends Model {
    protected $table = 'articles';
    protected $fillable = ['id', 'title', 'content', 'created_on', 'changed_on'];
    protected $timestamps = true; // default is true
    protected $createdAtColumn = 'created_on';
    protected $updatedAtColumn = 'changed_on';

    public function up(Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->string('title');
        $table->text('content');
        $table->timestamp('created_on');
        $table->timestamp('changed_on');
        $this->schema = $table->toSql();
    }
}

With this setup, WPORM will automatically set created_on and changed_on when you create or update an Article record.

Example: Disabling Timestamps

If you do not want WPORM to manage any timestamp columns, set $timestamps = false in your model:

use MJ\WPORM\Model;
use MJ\WPORM\Blueprint;

class LogEntry extends Model {
    protected $table = 'log_entries';
    protected $fillable = ['id', 'message'];
    protected $timestamps = false;

    public function up(Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->string('message');
        $this->schema = $table->toSql();
    }
}

In this case, WPORM will not attempt to set or update any timestamp columns automatically.

Global Scopes

You can define global scopes on your model to automatically apply query constraints to all queries for that model.

Example:

class Post extends \MJ\WPORM\Model {
    protected static function boot() {
        parent::boot();
        static::addGlobalScope('published', function($query) {
            $query->where('status', 'published');
        });
    }
}

All queries will now include status = 'published' automatically:

$posts = Post::all(); // Only published posts

To disable global scopes for a query:

$allPosts = Post::query(false)->get(); // disables all global scopes
// or
$allPosts = Post::query()->withoutGlobalScopes()->get();

To remove a specific global scope at runtime:

Post::removeGlobalScope('published');

Soft Deletes

WPORM supports Eloquent-style soft deletes, allowing you to "delete" records without actually removing them from the database. To enable soft deletes on a model, set the $softDeletes property to true:

class User extends Model {
    protected $softDeletes = true;
    // Optionally customize the deleted_at column:
    // protected $deletedAtColumn = 'deleted_at';
    // Optionally set the soft delete type (see below)
    // protected $softDeleteType = 'timestamp'; // or 'boolean'
}

Soft Delete Strategies: Timestamp vs Boolean Flag

WPORM supports two soft delete strategies:

Timestamp column (default, Eloquent-style):

Uses a deleted_at (or custom) column to store the deletion datetime.
Set $softDeletes = true; and (optionally) $deletedAtColumn = 'deleted_at'; in your model.

Example:

class User extends Model {
    protected $softDeletes = true;
    // protected $deletedAtColumn = 'deleted_at'; // optional
    // protected $softDeleteType = 'timestamp'; // optional, default
}

In your migration/schema:

$table->timestamp('deleted_at')->nullable();

Boolean flag column:

Uses a boolean column (e.g., deleted) to indicate soft deletion (1 = deleted, 0 = not deleted).
Set $softDeletes = true;, $deletedAtColumn = 'deleted', and $softDeleteType = 'boolean'; in your model.

Example:

class Product extends Model {
    protected $softDeletes = true;
    protected $deletedAtColumn = 'deleted'; // boolean column
    protected $softDeleteType = 'boolean'; // enable boolean-flag mode
}

In your migration/schema:
```
$table->boolean('deleted')->default(0);
```

How it works

Timestamp mode:
- delete() sets deleted_at to the current datetime.
- restore() sets deleted_at to null.
- Queries exclude rows where deleted_at is not null (unless withTrashed() or onlyTrashed() is used).
Boolean mode:
- delete() sets deleted to 1 (true).
- restore() sets deleted to 0 (false).
- Queries exclude rows where deleted is true (unless withTrashed() or onlyTrashed() is used).

Example Usage

// Timestamp soft deletes (default)
$user = User::find(1);
$user->delete(); // sets deleted_at
User::query()->withTrashed()->get(); // includes soft-deleted
User::query()->onlyTrashed()->get(); // only soft-deleted
$user->restore(); // sets deleted_at to null

// Boolean flag soft deletes
$product = Product::find(1);
$product->delete(); // sets deleted = 1
Product::query()->withTrashed()->get(); // includes deleted
Product::query()->onlyTrashed()->get(); // only deleted
$product->restore(); // sets deleted = 0

Conditional Queries: when()

WPORM supports Eloquent-style conditional queries using the when() method. This allows you to add query constraints only if a given condition is true, making your code more readable and dynamic.

Usage:

// Add a where clause only if $isActive is true
$users = User::query()
    ->when($isActive, function ($query) {
        $query->where('active', true);
    })
    ->get();

// You can also provide a default callback for the false case
$users = User::query()
    ->when($country, function ($query, $country) {
        $query->where('country', $country);
    }, function ($query) {
        $query->where('country', 'US'); // fallback
    })
    ->get();

The first argument is the condition value.
The second argument is a callback executed if the condition is truthy.
The optional third argument is a callback executed if the condition is falsy.

This method is available on both the query builder and as a static method on models.

Troubleshooting & Tips

Table Prefixing: Always use $table = (new ModelName)->getTable(); to get the correct, prefixed table name for custom SQL. Do not manually prepend $wpdb->prefix.
Model Booting: If you add static boot methods or global scopes, ensure you call them before querying if not using the model's constructor.
Schema Changes: If you change your model's up() schema, you may need to drop and recreate the table or use the SchemaBuilder's table() method for migrations.
Events: You can add creating, updating, and deleting methods to your models for event hooks.
Extending Casts: Implement MJ\WPORM\Casts\CastableInterface for custom attribute casting logic.
Testing: Always test your queries and schema changes on a staging environment before deploying to production.

Contributing

Contributions, bug reports, and feature requests are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request.

Credits

WPORM is inspired by Laravel's Eloquent ORM and adapted for the WordPress ecosystem.

Version

Current Version: 1.0.0
Changelog:
- Initial release with full Eloquent-style ORM features for WordPress.

Security Note

Always validate and sanitize user input, even when using the ORM. The ORM helps prevent SQL injection, but you are responsible for data integrity and security.

Performance Tips

Use indexes for columns you frequently query (e.g., foreign keys, search fields). The ORM's schema builder supports $table->index('column').

For large datasets, use pagination and limit/offset queries to avoid memory issues:

// For large datasets, use limit and offset for pagination:
$usersPage2 = User::query()->orderBy('id')->limit(20)->offset(20)->get(); // Get users 21-40

FAQ

Q: Why is my table not created?

A: Ensure your model's up() method is correct and that you call the schema builder. Check for errors in your SQL or schema definition.

Q: How do I debug a failed query?

A: Use $wpdb->last_query and $wpdb->last_error after running a query to inspect the last executed SQL and any errors.

Q: Can I use this ORM outside of WordPress?

A: No, it is tightly coupled to WordPress's $wpdb and plugin environment.

Resources

License Details

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file or MIT License for details.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 123 Commits
Casts		Casts
Example		Example
.gitignore		.gitignore
Blueprint.md		Blueprint.md
Blueprint.php		Blueprint.php
CastsType.md		CastsType.md
Collection.php		Collection.php
ColumnDefinition.php		ColumnDefinition.php
DB.md		DB.md
DB.php		DB.php
Debugging.md		Debugging.md
Helpers.php		Helpers.php
LICENSE		LICENSE
Methods.md		Methods.md
Model.php		Model.php
QueryBuilder.php		QueryBuilder.php
Readme.md		Readme.md
SchemaBuilder.php		SchemaBuilder.php
composer.json		composer.json

License

mjkhajeh/wporm

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

Repository files navigation

WPORM - Lightweight WordPress ORM

Documentation

Features

Installation

With Composer (Recommended)

Manual Installation

Defining a Model

Schema Management

Unique Indexes (Eloquent-style)

Basic Usage

Creating a Record

Querying Records

Querying by a Specific Column

Creating or Updating Records: updateOrCreate

Creating or Getting Records: firstOrCreate and firstOrNew

Inserting Records: insertOrIgnore

Updating a Record

Deleting a Record

Pagination

paginate($perPage = 15, $page = null)

simplePaginate($perPage = 15, $page = null)

Attribute Casting

Array Conversion and Casting

Relationships

Relationship Existence Filtering: whereHas, orWhereHas, has

Custom Attribute Accessors/Mutators

Appended (Computed) Attributes

Transactions

Custom Queries

Raw Table Queries with DB::table()

Complex Where Statements

Using newQuery()

Timestamp Columns

Example: Customizing Timestamp Column Names

Example: Disabling Timestamps

Global Scopes

Soft Deletes

Soft Delete Strategies: Timestamp vs Boolean Flag

How it works

Example Usage

Conditional Queries: when()

Troubleshooting & Tips

Contributing

Credits

Version

Security Note

Performance Tips

FAQ

Resources

License Details

About

Topics

Resources

License

Uh oh!

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases 8

Languages