berlindb

name	berlindb
description	Use when implementing, reviewing, debugging, or migrating WordPress custom database tables that use berlindb/core 3.x. Covers Schema, Table, Row, Query, Connection adapters, parser/operator query vars, table upgrades, common save failures, and release-safe verification commands.

BerlinDB

Use this skill for BerlinDB 3.x work in WordPress plugins and libraries.

Contributing to BerlinDB core itself (editing src/, tests/, configs)? This skill is consumer-facing — it covers using the library. The contributor workflow, coding-style rules, and verification gate live in the repository's CLAUDE.md. Read that first when working on the core.

First Moves

1. Check the installed BerlinDB version and current branch before editing.
2. Prefer local source, tests, README, and CHANGELOG over memory.
3. Use current namespaces:
   • BerlinDB\Database\Kern\Schema
   • BerlinDB\Database\Kern\Table
   • BerlinDB\Database\Kern\Query
   • BerlinDB\Database\Kern\Row
   • BerlinDB\Database\Interfaces\Connection
   • BerlinDB\Database\Adapters\Wpdb
   • BerlinDB\Database\Adapters\NullConnection
4. Do not use old 2.x paths such as BerlinDB\Database\Schema, BerlinDB\Database\Table, BerlinDB\Database\Query, or BerlinDB\Database\Row unless the project explicitly aliases them.
5. Do not invent APIs. If unsure, search src/ and tests/.

Reference Map

Read only the reference needed for the task:

• references/schema-table.md: schemas, columns, indexes, tables, installs, upgrades, table versions, and nullability.
• references/query-row.md: query classes, row shapes, CRUD return values, filters, __in/__not_in, criteria boolean trees, expression operands (column/function/list/range/tuple comparisons), aggregates (aggregate container, grouped + having), JSON, casts, and the three-cache model (query/by-id/secondary) with last_changed salt invalidation.
• references/relationships.md: relationships (belongs_to/has_many), single- and composite- (multi-column) key declaration, conditioned (scoped / polymorphic) relationships via a fixed condition, get_related / with priming, relation filtering (in vs join strategies, plus nested multi-hop chains via a nested relation), and opt-in enforced FOREIGN KEY DDL (deferred add_foreign_keys() / inline).
• references/debugging.md: silent save failures, table upgrade issues, wrong primary key usage, malformed query vars, and logging.
• references/migration-2-to-3.md: updating older BerlinDB 2.x patterns to BerlinDB 3.x.
• references/verification.md: local checks, CI expectations, package/archive checks, and pre-release workflow.
• references/extending.md: construction lifecycle hooks (which to override and which to leave alone), config args + strict mode, validating relationship declarations, authoring presets (the Meta recipe + MetaStore contract), query-var normalization (early all-vars vs later var-local), and the custom-parser API.

Canonical Object Model

A typical integration defines:

• a Schema subclass with $columns and $indexes
• a Table subclass with $name, $version, and $schema
• a Row subclass with public properties for returned data
• a Query subclass with $table_schema, $item_shape, $table_name, names, cache group, and optional prefix/alias values

In BerlinDB 3.x, Table and Query instantiate Schema objects from class names or accept Schema instances. Prefer ::class constants for schema and row shape.

Sanitize vs validate (when overriding): sanitize_* methods (Sanitizer trait) make a value structurally/SQL-safe — identifiers and config args — and may reject it. validate_* methods (Column) conform a stored value to the column's declared type via its $validate callback. Override the one matching your concern, and follow the same split when naming your own helpers.

Relationships (3.1.0, #193)

Declare a relationship in a column's relationships array in the Schema. Each entry needs query (FQCN of the remote Query class), column (the column on the remote side), and type (belongs_to | has_many); name (the accessor) is optional, derived from the local column otherwise.

Which side declares it, and what column means, differs by type:

• belongs_to — declare on the local column that holds the foreign key (the owning / "many" side). column is the remote key it points at (usually 'id').

// On 'order_id' — this row points at one Order.
'relationships' => array(
    array(
        'query'  => \EDD\Database\Queries\Order::class,
        'column' => 'id',           // remote key referenced
        'type'   => 'belongs_to',
        'name'   => 'order',        // optional accessor
    ),
),

• has_many — declare on the local key the children reference back (the "one" / parent side, usually 'id'). column is the remote foreign-key column pointing here.

// On 'id' — many Order_Items point back at this Order.
'relationships' => array(
    array(
        'query'  => \EDD\Database\Queries\Order_Item::class,
        'column' => 'order_id',     // remote FK pointing here
        'type'   => 'has_many',
        'name'   => 'items',        // optional accessor
    ),
),

• Conditioned (scoped / polymorphic) relationships. Add a fixed condition (column => scalar) to scope the remote rows, so a polymorphic child table (object_id + object_type) models as ONE relationship: 'condition' => array( 'object_type' => 'order' ) appends AND {remote}.object_type = 'order' to traversal and filtering. Application-layer only (never a FOREIGN KEY); defaults to the join / EXISTS strategy; the condition column must be in => true on the remote for get_related(). Fails closed on an unknown column; a many_to_many condition is rejected. See references/relationships.md.

• Composite (multi-column) keys. A relationship can key on more than one column. The per-column relationships shorthand above models a single key column, so declare a composite relationship on the Schema via get_relationships(), with equal-length columns (local) and references (remote) arrays:

public function get_relationships() {
    return array(
        new \BerlinDB\Database\Kern\Relationship( array(
            'name'       => 'tenant',
            'query'      => \Acme\Database\Queries\Tenant::class,
            'type'       => 'belongs_to',
            'columns'    => array( 'region_id', 'account_id' ),  // local
            'references' => array( 'region_id', 'account_id' ),  // remote
        ) ),
    );
}

Composite relationships filter (relation join/EXISTS correlates on every key column) and fetch (get_related() matches all key columns; a missing part means no relation), and are batch-primed by with like single-column keys - one bulk read warms the caches so per-item get_related() fires no SQL (#229). They default to the 'join' strategy (the 'in' materialize strategy is single-column only). Enforced composite relationships emit a real multi-column FOREIGN KEY ( a, b ) REFERENCES ... ( a, b ).

• Prime caches with with (quiet by default — pass accessor names to warm): $q->query( array( 'status' => 'active', 'with' => array( 'order' ) ) );
• Resolve related rows with get_related() (on the Query, not the Row): $order = $q->get_related( $item, 'order' ); — belongs_to returns a Row or null; has_many returns an array of Rows (the FULL child set — pagination is a direct query(), not a relationship accessor).
• Filter rows by a relationship with the relation query var; two strategies:
  • 'in' (default) — resolves a subquery into a {fk}__in filter: 'relation' => array( 'name' => 'order', 'where' => array( 'status' => 'complete' ), 'strategy' => 'in' )
  • 'join' — a real JOIN/EXISTS, supporting INNER (default) or 'join' => 'left', 'exists' => false (anti-join), operator conditions (array( 'compare' => '>', 'value' => 100 )), and nested AND/OR where groups: 'relation' => array( 'name' => 'order', 'where' => array( 'status' => 'complete' ), 'strategy' => 'join' )
• Type a comparison with an opt-in cast on a where condition — never applied by default (a SQL CAST defeats index use):
  • 'cast' => 'SIGNED' — explicit target (SIGNED/UNSIGNED/DECIMAL/ DATE/DATETIME/TIME/CHAR); useful when comparing a value stored as text numerically: array( 'compare' => '>', 'value' => 100, 'cast' => 'SIGNED' ).
  • 'cast' => true — derive the target from the remote column's own type.
  • A present-but-invalid cast (e.g. a typo) fails closed (no rows), not a silent lexical compare.
• Compare to another column with an opt-in operand in place of value: array( 'compare' => '>', 'value' => array( 'operand' => 'column', 'name' => 'min_total' ) ) compares two columns (total > min_total). Works on the scalar comparison operators (=/!=/</<=/>/>=) in relationship where and compare_query clauses; an unknown column or an unsupported operator fails closed. The operand may also be an allow-listed SQL function wrapping recursive arguments — array( 'operand' => 'func', 'name' => 'ABS', 'args' => array( array( 'operand' => 'column', 'name' => 'balance' ) ) ) for ... = ABS(balance). Only listed functions (LOWER/UPPER/LENGTH/ABS/ DATE/YEAR/MONTH/DAYOFMONTH/DAYOFYEAR/DAYOFWEEK/HOUR/MINUTE/ SECOND) with a matching arity are allowed; no raw SQL. A column argument is type-checked against the function (YEAR() wants a date column, ABS() a numeric one) and fails closed on a mismatch. The same operand spec works on the left side via the clause key (position selects the side) — array( 'key' => array( 'operand' => 'func', 'name' => 'LOWER', 'args' => array( array( 'operand' => 'column', 'name' => 'name' ) ) ), 'value' => 'jane' ) for LOWER(name) = 'jane'; a bare scalar on the other side is prepared with the function's return type. An operand key also works with a bare value on IN/ BETWEEN/LIKE/IS NULL (e.g. 'key' => array( 'operand' => 'func', 'name' => 'YEAR', 'args' => array( array( 'operand' => 'column', 'name' => 'created' ) ) ), 'compare' => 'IN', 'value' => array( 2023, 2024 )). Comparing two operands (a structured value) stays limited to the scalar operators (=/!=/</<=/>/>=).

Notes:

• Validate your declarations. $schema->get_validation_errors() catches the local side (own shape, unknown local column, duplicate accessor, unsupported composite, a named-but-missing remote query class); $query->get_relationship_errors() catches the remote side on demand (the class exists but isn't a Query, an unknown remote column) — call it from your tests or dev tooling. Malformed shorthand declarations are dropped (fail-closed, reject-not-mutate) and logged with a stable code (e.g. relationship_invalid_type); get_validation_errors() also reads those drop warnings back, so a typo'd declaration shows up there (not only in the log) and is_valid() catches it.
• Runtime relationship features (get_related, priming, relation filtering) are single-column only for now — one local key referencing one remote key.
• Relationship filters fail closed: a misconfigured or empty-matching filter returns no rows, never all rows.
• Opt-in real foreign keys. Relationships are unenforced by default (application-layer integrity, matching WordPress's avoidance of real FKs). Set enforce => true on a belongs_to to emit real FOREIGN KEY DDL (with optional on_delete / on_update / constraint). Emission is deferred: install your tables, then call $table->add_foreign_keys() once every referenced table exists (the referenced table must precede the constraint). Or set the referencing table's $foreign_keys = 'inline' to emit the FK inside CREATE TABLE when you control install order. Only enable it if you control the storage engine (InnoDB).

Custom Meta Tables (3.1.0, #204)

Use the Meta preset when a table needs WordPress-style key/value metadata in a custom sibling table instead of a core {type}meta table. The recipe is explicit: the primary schema declares the has_many meta relationship, and thin query/table stubs opt into the generated meta table shape.

use BerlinDB\Database\Kern\Query;
use BerlinDB\Database\Kern\Schema;
use BerlinDB\Database\Kern\Table;
use BerlinDB\Database\Presets\Meta\Query as MetaQuery;
use BerlinDB\Database\Presets\Meta\Table as MetaTable;

class Order_Schema extends Schema {
    public $columns = array(
        array(
            'name'          => 'id',
            'type'          => 'bigint',
            'length'        => '20',
            'unsigned'      => true,
            'primary'       => true,
            'extra'         => 'auto_increment',
            'relationships' => array(
                array(
                    'query'  => Order_Meta_Query::class,
                    'column' => 'order_id',
                    'type'   => 'has_many',
                    'name'   => 'meta',
                ),
            ),
        ),
    );

    public $indexes = array(
        array(
            'type'    => 'primary',
            'columns' => array( 'id' ),
        ),
    );
}

class Order_Query extends Query {
    protected $prefix       = 'acme';
    protected $table_name   = 'orders';
    protected $table_schema = Order_Schema::class;
    protected $item_name    = 'order';
    protected $cache_group  = 'orders';
}

class Order_Table extends Table {
    protected $prefix  = 'acme';
    protected $name    = 'orders';
    protected $version = '1.0.0';
    protected $schema  = Order_Schema::class;
}

class Order_Meta_Query extends MetaQuery {
    protected $primary_query_class = Order_Query::class;
}

class Order_Meta_Table extends MetaTable {
    protected $meta_query_class = Order_Meta_Query::class;
}

Instantiate/install the primary table and meta table alongside each other. The meta query derives its table name (order_meta), foreign key (order_id), EAV columns (meta_id, meta_key, meta_value), and belongs_to order relationship from the primary.

Presets\Meta\Query implements Interfaces\MetaStore. A primary query's protected add_item_meta(), get_item_meta(), update_item_meta(), delete_item_meta(), and delete-item purge path route to the custom store when the relationship named meta resolves to a MetaStore; otherwise they fall back to the legacy WordPress metadata API. Expose those protected helpers from your own Query subclass if your plugin needs public item-meta methods.

delete_item_meta( $id, $key, $value, $delete_all ) mirrors delete_metadata(): with $delete_all = true the item ID is ignored and the key is purged across every object (a fleet-wide cleanup), on both the store and legacy paths. A meta key is still required.

Bulk meta works too: extra non-column keys passed to add_item() / update_item() save through the store (non-empty values update, empty values delete), and delete_item() purges the item's meta. When a store is declared, the WordPress register_meta() key gate is intentionally skipped — the meta relationship IS the registration.

meta_query / meta_key / meta_value work too: for a store-backed object they are translated into relationship EXISTS filters against the sibling table (so the existing WordPress-shaped query surface keeps working), with compare, type casts, and relation AND/OR all honored. A negative compare_key (e.g. NOT LIKE on the key) becomes a NOT EXISTS over the key — "the object has no meta row whose key matches" — except when paired with a value, which still fails closed. WordPress-core objects keep the bespoke meta parser unchanged. A value-side compare => 'IS NULL' / 'IS NOT NULL' is supported (both engines, value-less — any value is ignored): it means "the object has a meta row for this key whose value is (non-)NULL". Key absence is NOT EXISTS, not IS NULL.

You can also order by a meta value: orderby => 'meta_value' (or 'meta_value_num' for numeric) sorts by the simple/first clause's value, and a named meta_query clause key — meta_query => array( 'price' => array( 'key' => 'price' ) ) with orderby => 'price' — sorts by that clause. Store-backed objects order via a correlated subquery (the oldest meta_id wins a multi-valued key). The array orderby shape works for both, so several meta keys (and real columns) can be mixed in one orderby. Named clauses both filter and sort, exactly like positional ones.

Current limitations:

• A negative compare_key combined with a value fails closed for store-backed objects (key absence is object-level, a value match is row-level — one EXISTS clause can't express both). A negative compare_key on its own translates.
• Runtime relationship features remain single-column only, so Meta preset primaries should use a single primary key column.
• A string/UUID primary key is supported end-to-end (3.1.0): add_item() with a supplied key returns that key, get_item()/update_item()/delete_item() and query result-shaping address rows by it, and the generated meta foreign key mirrors the primary key's storage shape so store-backed item meta keys off the string/UUID too. (add_item() therefore returns int|string.) The legacy WordPress metadata fallback — for a primary with no meta store — still requires an integer ID, since {type}meta tables are int-keyed.

High-Risk Gotchas

• Nullable columns use 'allow_null' => true, not 'null' => true.
• PHP arrays are not automatically JSON-encoded before writes.
• JSON strings are not automatically decoded after reads unless a cast or Row constructor handles them.
• add_item() returns the new item ID on success — the auto-increment value (int), or the supplied string/UUID primary key — or false on failure.
• update_item() returns true when a table-column update is written — or (3.1.0) when a meta-only update saves bulk meta successfully — but returns false when nothing needs saving after diffing and capability reduction (including a meta-only update to an identical value).
• delete_item() returns true or false.
• delete_items() (3.1.0) deletes a set: a single ID, a list of IDs, or a query-var filter (same vocabulary as query(), e.g. delete_items( array( 'status__in' => array( 'spam' ) ) )). It resolves the matching keys and loops delete_item() (so hooks/cache/meta cleanup all fire), and returns the number deleted or false. An empty input or a filter with no WHERE deletes nothing — it never means "delete everything".
• update_items( $target, $data ) (3.1.0) is the write sibling: it writes $data to a set named the same three ways (single ID / list of IDs / query-var filter), looping update_item(). Returns the number updated or false. Empty $data, an empty input, or a filter with no WHERE updates nothing.
• On a composite-key table (3.1.0, #241) both plural verbs resolve each matched row's full primary key, so a filter like delete_items( array( 'account_id' => 1 ) ) removes every matching row addressed by its whole key — not just rows sharing the first key column. Pass literal composite keys as a list of maps: delete_items( array( array( 'account_id' => 1, 'user_id' => 10 ), ... ) ). A lone array( 'account_id' => 1, 'user_id' => 10 ) is read as a filter (which, for a full key, matches exactly that row). Item meta stays unsupported on composite keys.
• add_items( $rows ) (3.1.0) is the create sibling: it inserts a list of data arrays, one new item each, looping add_item(). It takes no set selector (the rows do not exist yet), and returns the new IDs in input order — each slot the new ID, or false where that insert failed — rather than a count. An empty input inserts nothing and returns array().
• update_item() and delete_item() expect the primary-key value, not a slug or other business key.
• number can intentionally limit queries that also use __in or __not_in.
• Table $version values are schema/database versions for that table, not the BerlinDB package version. Must be a string — strict_types=1 and version_compare() both require it.
• no_found_rows defaults to true. In that mode, get_found_items() returns only the current-page item count, not the total matching rows — not useful for pagination. Pass 'no_found_rows' => false to run the separate COUNT(*) query and get the true total from get_found_items().
• In this repository's database tests, call wp_set_current_user( 1 ) before CRUD writes. Query::reduce_item() runs current_user_can() checks before saving column data, and the default test fixtures otherwise strip columns and make inserts/updates look broken.
• For multisite global tables (shared across all sites), set $global = true on the Table subclass. Per-site tables omit this property.

Verification Defaults

For BerlinDB core changes, run:

composer validate --strict --no-check-publish
vendor/bin/phpstan analyse --memory-limit=1G
vendor/bin/phpcs
bin/run-tests.sh -p 8.1 -w 6.7 -- --group default
bin/run-tests.sh -p 8.2 -w 6.7 -- --group default

For plugin integrations, run the plugin's own PHPUnit/static-analysis suite and at least one integration path that creates/upgrades the table and performs insert, update, query, and delete operations.