++ Introduction The purpose of schema files is to allow you to manage your model definitions directly from a yaml file rather then editing php code. The yaml schema file is parsed and used to generate all your model definitions/classes. This makes Doctrine model definitions much more portable. Schema files support all the normal things you would write with manual php code. Component to connection binding, relationships, attributes, templates/behaviors, indexes, etc. ++ Relationships When specifying relationships it is only necessary to specify the relationship on the end where the foreign key exists, although both ways are supported. +++ One to One --- User: columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true contact_id: type: integer(4) username: type: string(255) password: type: stirng(255) relations: Contact: foreignType: one Contact: columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true name: type: string(255) +++ One to Many --- User: columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true contact_id: type: integer(4) username: type: string(255) password: type: stirng(255) Phonenumber: columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true name: type: string(255) user_id: type: integer(4) relations: User: foreignAlias: Phonenumbers +++ Many to Many User: columns: id: type: integer(4) autoincrement: true primary: true username: type: string(255) password: type: string(255) attributes: export: all validate: true Group: tableName: group_table columns: id: type: integer(4) autoincrement: true primary: true name: type: string(255) relations: Users: foreignAlias: Groups class: User refClass: GroupUser GroupUser: columns: group_id: type: integer(4) primary: true user_id: type: integer(4) primary: true ++ Connection Binding Doctrine::connection('mysql://jwage:pass@localhost/connection1', 'connection1'); --- User: connection: connection1 columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true contact_id: type: integer(4) username: type: string(255) password: type: stirng(255) ++ Attributes --- User: connection: connection1 columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true contact_id: type: integer(4) username: type: string(255) password: type: stirng(255) attributes: export: none validate: false ++ Templates --- User: connection: connection1 columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true contact_id: type: integer(4) username: type: string(255) password: type: stirng(255) templates: MyCustomTemplate option1: value option2: value ++ ActAs --- User: connection: connection1 columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true contact_id: type: integer(4) username: type: string(255) password: type: stirng(255) actAs: Sluggable: fields: [username] ++ Options --- User: connection: connection1 columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true contact_id: type: integer(4) username: type: string(255) password: type: stirng(255) options: type: INNODB collate: utf8_unicode_ci charset: utf8 ++ Indexes Please see chapter [doc basic-schema-mapping :index :name] for more information about indexes and their options. schema.yml --- UserProfile: columns: user_id: type: integer length: 4 primary: true autoincrement: true first_name: type: string length: 20 last_name: type: string length: 20 indexes: name_index: fields: first_name: sorting: ASC length: 10 primary: true last_name: [] type: unique This is the PHP line of code that is auto-generated inside setTableDefinition() inside your base model class. $this->index('name_index', array('fields' => array('first_name' => array( 'sorting' => 'ASC', 'length' => '10', 'primary' => true ), 'last_name' => array( ) ), 'type' => 'unique')); ++ Inheritance --- Entity: actAs: [Timestampable] columns: id: type: integer(4) primary: true autoincrement: true username: type: string(255) password: type: string(255) User: inheritance: extends: Entity Group: inheritance: extends: Entity ++ Generating Models Once you have defined your schema files you need some code to // The options are completely optional. Only use this if you need something beyond the default configuration for model generation $options = array('packagesPrefix' => 'Package', // What to prefix the middle package models with 'packagesPath' => '', // this defaults to the "#models_path#/packages" 'generateBaseClasses' => true, // Whether or not to generate abstract base models containing the definition and a top level class which is empty extends the base 'generateTableClasses' => true, // Whether or not to generate a table class for each model 'baseClassesDirectory' => 'generated', // Name of the folder to generate the base class definitions in 'baseClassName' => 'Doctrine_Record', // Name of the base Doctrine_Record class 'suffix' => '.php'); // Extension for your generated models // This code will generate the models for schema.yml at /path/to/generate/models Doctrine::generateModelsFromYaml('schema.yml', '/path/to/generate/models', $options);