What is Doctrine hydration?

Hydration is a method used to return query results. For example:

  1. HYDRATE_ARRAY - This will return you an array of records that are represented by another array:

    $q = Doctrine_Query::create()
       ->from('Post p')
       ->setHydrationMode(Doctrine::HYDRATE_ARRAY);
    
    $resultSet = $q->execute(); // $resultSet is an array
    
    foreach ($resultSet as $post) {
        // $post is an array
        echo $post['title'];
    }
    
  2. HYDRATE_RECORD - This will return you an collection (Doctrine_Collection) of objects:

    $q = Doctrine_Query::create()
       ->from('Post p')
       ->setHydrationMode(Doctrine::HYDRATE_RECORD); // Unnecessary, HYDATE_RECORD is default method
    
    $resultSet = $q->execute(); // $resultSet is an Doctrine_Collection object
    
    foreach ($resultSet as $post) {
        // $post is an Post object
        echo $post->getTitle();
        echo $post['title']; // Each Doctrine's Model object implements ArrayAccess interface so this is possible
        echo $post->myCustomMethod();
    }
    
  3. HYDRATE_SINGULAR_SCALAR - Will return the value of first column of query's result:

     $q = Doctrine_Query::create()
       ->select('p.created_at')
       ->from('Post p')
       ->where('p.id = ?', 321)
       ->setHydrationMode(Doctrine::HYDRATE_SINGULAR_SCALAR); 
    
    $createdAt = $q->execute(); // $createdAt has value of first column from first record from result set (eg.: 2008-04-06 21:22:35)
    

There is a few more methods , you can read about each in documentation.


$q->fetchOne(array(), Doctrine_Core::HYDRATE_ARRAY);

It will return just a simple array instead of a doctrine collection object.