PHP Database Skill
Atomic skill for mastering database operations in PHP
Overview
Comprehensive skill for PHP database interactions covering PDO, ORM patterns, query optimization, schema design, and migrations.
Skill Parameters
Input Validation
typescript
interface SkillParams {
topic:
| "pdo" // Native PHP database
| "eloquent" // Laravel ORM
| "doctrine" // Symfony ORM
| "optimization" // Query tuning, indexing
| "migrations" // Schema versioning
| "transactions"; // ACID, locking
level: "beginner" | "intermediate" | "advanced";
database?: "mysql" | "postgresql" | "sqlite";
orm?: "eloquent" | "doctrine" | "none";
}
Validation Rules
yaml
validation:
topic:
required: true
allowed: [pdo, eloquent, doctrine, optimization, migrations, transactions]
level:
required: true
database:
default: "mysql"
Learning Modules
Module 1: PDO Fundamentals
yaml
beginner: - Connection and DSN - Prepared statements - Fetching results intermediate: - Error handling modes - Transactions basics - Named placeholders advanced: - Connection pooling - Stored procedures - Batch operations
Module 2: Query Optimization
yaml
beginner: - Basic indexing - EXPLAIN basics - WHERE clause optimization intermediate: - Composite indexes - Join optimization - Query profiling advanced: - Execution plan analysis - Partitioning - Query caching
Module 3: ORM Patterns
yaml
beginner: - Model basics - CRUD operations - Simple relationships intermediate: - Eager loading (N+1 prevention) - Query scopes - Lifecycle hooks advanced: - Custom repositories - Result caching - Batch processing
Error Handling & Retry Logic
yaml
errors:
CONNECTION_ERROR:
code: "DB_001"
recovery: "Check connection string, retry with backoff"
DEADLOCK_ERROR:
code: "DB_002"
recovery: "Retry transaction with exponential backoff"
QUERY_ERROR:
code: "DB_003"
recovery: "Check SQL syntax, validate parameters"
retry:
max_attempts: 3
backoff:
type: exponential
initial_delay_ms: 100
max_delay_ms: 2000
retryable: [CONNECTION_ERROR, DEADLOCK_ERROR]
Code Examples
PDO with Prepared Statements
php
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
final class Database
{
private \PDO $pdo;
public function __construct(string $dsn, string $user, string $pass)
{
$this->pdo = new \PDO($dsn, $user, $pass, [
\PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => \PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
\PDO::ATTR_DEFAULT_FETCH_MODE => \PDO::FETCH_ASSOC,
\PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES => false,
]);
}
public function findById(int $id): ?array
{
$stmt = $this->pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = :id');
$stmt->execute(['id' => $id]);
return $stmt->fetch() ?: null;
}
public function insert(array $data): int
{
$stmt = $this->pdo->prepare(
'INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES (:name, :email)'
);
$stmt->execute($data);
return (int) $this->pdo->lastInsertId();
}
}
Transaction with Retry
php
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
final class TransactionService
{
public function executeWithRetry(
\PDO $pdo,
callable $operation,
int $maxRetries = 3
): mixed {
$attempt = 0;
while (true) {
try {
$pdo->beginTransaction();
$result = $operation($pdo);
$pdo->commit();
return $result;
} catch (\PDOException $e) {
$pdo->rollBack();
if (++$attempt >= $maxRetries || !$this->isRetryable($e)) {
throw $e;
}
usleep(100000 * pow(2, $attempt)); // Exponential backoff
}
}
}
private function isRetryable(\PDOException $e): bool
{
return str_contains($e->getMessage(), 'Deadlock');
}
}
N+1 Prevention (Eloquent)
php
<?php
// BAD: N+1 problem
$posts = Post::all();
foreach ($posts as $post) {
echo $post->author->name; // Query per post!
}
// GOOD: Eager loading
$posts = Post::with('author')->get();
foreach ($posts as $post) {
echo $post->author->name; // No extra queries
}
// BETTER: Select specific columns
$posts = Post::with(['author:id,name'])->get(['id', 'title', 'author_id']);
Query Optimization
sql
-- Before: Full table scan SELECT * FROM orders WHERE status = 'pending'; -- Step 1: Add index CREATE INDEX idx_orders_status ON orders(status); -- Step 2: Analyze with EXPLAIN EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM orders WHERE status = 'pending'; -- Result: Index scan instead of full table scan
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Detection | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| N+1 queries | Debugbar shows 100+ queries | Use eager loading with() |
| Slow queries | Query > 1 second | Add indexes, run EXPLAIN |
| Deadlocks | "Deadlock found" error | Implement retry logic |
| Memory exhaustion | Memory limit error | Use chunk() or cursor() |
Memory-Efficient Processing
php
<?php
// BAD: Loads all into memory
$users = User::all();
// GOOD: Chunk processing
User::chunk(1000, function ($users) {
foreach ($users as $user) {
// Process
}
});
// BETTER: Cursor for minimal memory
foreach (User::cursor() as $user) {
// Process one at a time
}
Quality Metrics
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Prepared statements | 100% |
| N+1 prevention | 100% |
| Index recommendations | ≥95% |
| Transaction safety | 100% |
Usage
code
Skill("php-database", {topic: "optimization", level: "advanced"})