VOOZH about

URL: https://cycle-orm.dev/docs/database-introspection

⇱ Cycle ORM: Databases - Schema Introspection

Revision: Wed, 24 Jun 2026 03:58:36 GMT

Database Schema Introspection

Cycle/Database layer provides the ability to read and analyze the basic properties of a given database or a given table. The DBAL layer includes a set of "abstract" types assigned to each column, based on DBMS specific mapping in order to unify different engines.

List of database tables

To check if the database has a specific table use hasTable:

php
if ($database->hasTable('users')) {
 //...
}

Read how to get Database instances here.

Receive all database tables (array of Cycle\Database\Table):

php
foreach ($database->getTables() as $table) {
 print_r($table->getName());
}

Only tables specific to the database prefix (if any) are returned.

Schema Reader/Builder (AbstractTable) is available using getSchema method:

php
foreach ($database->getTables() as $table) {
 print_r($table->getSchema());
}

Reading table properties using AbstractTable

The AbstractTable provides low-level access to table information, such as column types (internal and abstract), indexes, foreign keys, etc. You can use this information to perform a database export, or to build your own ORM or migration mechanism (see schema declaration).

Table primary keys:

php
print_r($schema->getPrimaryKeys());

Table indexes:

php
foreach ($schema->getIndexes() as $index) {
 print_r($index->getName());
 print_r($index->getColumns());
 print_r($index->isUnique());
}

Table foreign keys (references):

php
foreach ($schema->getForeigns() as $foreign) {
 print_r($foreign->getColumn()); //Local column name
 print_r($foreign->getForeignTable()); //Global table name!
 print_r($foreign->getForeignKey());

 print_r($foreign->getDeleteRule()); //NO ACTION, CASCADE
 print_r($foreign->getUpdateRule()); //NO ACTION, CASCADE
}

Attention, getForeignTable returns full table name ignoring db prefix.

Table columns:

php
foreach ($schema->getColumns() as $column) {
 print_r($column->getName());

 print_r($column->getType()); //Internal database type
 print_r($column->abstractType()); //Abstract type like string, bigInt, enum, text and etc.
 print_r($column->phpType()); //PHP type: int, float, string, bool

 print_r($column->getDefaultValue()); //Can be instance of SqlFragment

 print_r($column->getSize()); //Only for strings and decimal values

 print_r($column->getPrecision()); //Decimals only
 print_r($column->getScale()); //Decimals only

 print_r($column->isNullable());
 print_r($column->getEnumValues()); //Only for enums

 print_r($column->getConstraints());

 print_r($column->sqlStatement()); //Column creation syntax
}

Some types can be mapped incorrectly if the table was created outside migrations or ORM.

You can find a complete list of available abstract types here.

← PREVIOUS Transactions
Edit this page