How to work with database in Drupal 7

All common Drupal 7 database examples here: select, update, delete, insert, join, filter, sorting, limit etc.

SELECT

SELECT with condition

// Drupal 6 version
$nodes = db_query("
SELECT nid, title FROM {node}
  WHERE type = '%s' AND uid = %d
", 'page', 1);
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$nodes = db_query("
  SELECT nid, title FROM {node}
  WHERE type = :type AND uid = :uid
", array(':type' => 'page', ':uid' => 1))->fetchAll();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$nodes = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n', array('nid', 'title'))
  ->condition('n.type', 'page')
  ->condition('n.uid', 1)
  ->execute()
  ->fetchAll();

SELECT from 2 database tables using INNER JOIN

// Drupal 6 version
$nodes = db_query("
  SELECT n.title, u.name FROM {node} n
  INNER JOIN {users} u ON n.uid = u.uid
");
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$nodes = db_query("
  SELECT n.title, u.name FROM {node} n
  INNER JOIN {users} u ON n.uid = u.uid
")->fetchAll();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$query = db_select('node', 'n');
$query->innerJoin('users', 'u', 'n.uid = u.uid');
$query->fields('n', array('title'));
$query->fields('u', array('name'));
$nodes = $query->execute()->fetchAll();

Please note, when using some database methods like JOIN - the query building should be separated with a semicolon!

Using db_select()->method1()->innerJoin()->method2() will cause an error!

Getting a single value from query

// Drupal 6 version
$title = db_result(db_query("SELECT title FROM {node} WHERE nid = %d", 123));
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$title = db_query("SELECT title FROM {node} WHERE nid = :nid", array(':nid' => 123))->fetchField();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$title = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n', array('title'))
  ->condition('n.nid', 123)
  ->execute()
  ->fetchField();

Getting the object by its ID

// Drupal 6 version
$node = db_fetch_object(db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid = %d", 123));
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$node = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid = :nid", array(':nid' => 123))->fetchObject();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$node = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n')
  ->condition('n.nid', 123)
  ->execute()
  ->fetchObject();

Count the number of entries

// Drupal 6
$count = db_result(db_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node} n WHERE n.uid = 1"));
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$count = db_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node} n WHERE n.uid = 1")->fetchField();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query, example 1
$count = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->condition('n.uid', 1)
  ->countQuery()
  ->execute()
  ->fetchField();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query, example 2
$query = db_select('node');
$query->addExpression('COUNT(*)');
$count = $query->execute()->fetchField();

Fround the minimum value

// Drupal 6 version
$min = db_result(db_query("SELECT MIN(fieldname) FROM {table}"));
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$min = db_query("SELECT MIN(fieldname) FROM {table}")->fetchField();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$query = db_select('table');
$query->addExpression('MIN(fieldname)');
$min = $query->execute()->fetchField();

Using LIMIT

// Drupal 6 version
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} LIMIT 0, 10");
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} LIMIT 0, 10")->fetchAll();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$nodes = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n')
  ->range(0, 10)
  ->execute()
  ->fetchAll();

Run around all entries

// Drupal 6 version
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node}");
while ($node = db_fetch_object($nodes)) {
  $items[] = $node->title;
}
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$result = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node}");
foreach ($result as $node) {
  $items[] = $node->title;
}
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$result = db_select('node', 'n')->fields('n')->execute();
foreach ($result as $node) {
  $items[] = $node->title;
}

UPDATE

Update entry

// Drupal 6
db_query("UPDATE {node} SET status = %d WHERE nid = %d", 1, 123);
 
// Drupal 7, static query
db_query("UPDATE {node} SET status = :status WHERE nid = :nid", array(':status' => 1, ':nid' => 123));
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
db_update('node')
  ->fields(array('status' => 1))
  ->condition('nid', 123)
  ->execute();

Increment value

// Drupal 6
db_query("UPDATE {node_counter} SET totalcount = totalcount + 1 WHERE nid = %d", 123);
 
// Drupal 7, static query
db_query("UPDATE {node_counter} SET totalcount = totalcount + 1 WHERE nid = :nid", array(':nid' => 5));
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
db_update('node_counter')
  ->expression('totalcount', 'totalcount + 1')
  ->condition('nid', 5)
  ->execute();

REMOVE entry

// Drupal 6
db_query("DELETE FROM {node} WHERE uid = %d AND created < %d", 1, time() - 3600);
 
// Drupal 7, static query
db_query("DELETE FROM {node} WHERE uid = :uid AND created < :created", array(':uid' => 1, ':created' => time() - 3600));
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
db_delete('node')
  ->condition('uid', 1)
  ->condition('created', time() - 3600, '<')
  ->execute();

TRUNCATE (clear) table

// Drupal 6, Drupal 7 static query
db_query("TRUNCATE {node}");
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
db_truncate('node')->execute();

INSERT

// Drupal 6
db_query("INSERT INTO {mytable} (intvar, stringvar, floatvar) VALUES (%d, '%s', %f)", 5, 'yum yum', 3.14);
$id = db_last_insert_id();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$id = db_insert('mytable')
  ->fields(array(
    'intvar' => 5,
    'stringvar' => 'yum yum',
    'floatvar' => 3.14,
  ))
  ->execute();

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS

Using LIKE operator in conditions

// Drupal 6
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE title LIKE '%%%s%%'", 'substring');
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE title LIKE :title", array(':title' => '%' . db_like('substring') . '%'))->fetchAll();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$nodes = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n')
  ->condition('n.title', '%' . db_like('substring') . '%', 'LIKE')
  ->execute()
  ->fetchAll();

Using BETWEEN in conditions

// Drupal 6
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid BETWEEN %d AND %d", 123, 456);
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid BETWEEN :nid1 AND :nid2", array(':nid1' => 123, ':nid2' => 456))->fetchAll();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$nodes = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n')
  ->condition('n.nid', array(123, 456), 'BETWEEN')
  ->execute()
  ->fetchAll();

Check NULL or not

// Drupal 6, Drupal 7 static query
$result = db_query("SELECT * FROM {table} WHERE field IS NULL");
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query, вариант 1
$result = db_select('table', 't')
  ->fields('t')
  ->condition('t.field', NULL, 'IS NULL')
  ->execute();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query, вариант 2
$result = db_select('table', 't')
  ->fields('t')
  ->isNull('t.field')
  ->execute();

Using coplicated things in WHERE clause

// Drupal 6
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE YEAR(FROM_UNIXTIME(created)) = %d", 2011);
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE YEAR(FROM_UNIXTIME(created)) = :created", array(':created' => 2011))->fetchAll();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$nodes = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n')
  ->where('YEAR(FROM_UNIXTIME(n.created)) = :created', array(':created' => 2011))
  ->execute()
  ->fetchAll();

SORTING

// Drupal 6
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} ORDER BY created DESC, title ASC");
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$nodes = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} ORDER BY created DESC, title ASC")->fetchAll();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$nodes = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n')
  ->orderBy('n.created', 'DESC')
  ->orderBy('n.title', 'ASC')
  ->execute()
  ->fetchAll();

GETTING RESULTS in specific way

Get results into an associative array

// Drupal 6
$result = db_query("SELECT nid, title, created FROM {node}");
$nodes = array();
while ($row = db_fetch_object($result)) {
  $nodes[$row->nid] = $row;
}
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$nids = db_query("SELECT nid, title, created FROM {node}")->fetchAllAssoc('nid');
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$nids = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n', array('nid', 'title', 'created'))
  ->execute()
  ->fetchAllAssoc('nid');

Get results into an assicative array (where keys - first colum, values - second)

// Drupal 6
$result = db_query("SELECT nid, title FROM {node}");
$titles = array();
while ($row = db_fetch_object($result)) {
  $nids[$row->nid] = $row->title;
}
 
// Drupal 7, static query
$titles = db_query("SELECT nid, title FROM {node}")->fetchAllKeyed();
 
// Drupal 7, dynamic query
$titles = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n', array('nid', 'title'))
  ->execute()
  ->fetchAllKeyed();

Tags:

drupal

drupal 7

database

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Comments

02/09/2017 - 14:31

Tester (not verified)

It works, yeah?

03/09/2017 - 08:29

admin

Be sure it is ;)

04/04/2020 - 16:13

nvzuosh (not verified)