How to get web directory path from inside Entity?

Question

I researched the How to Handle File Uploads with Doctrine and I don't want to hard-code the __DIR__.'/../../../../web/'.$this->getUploadDir(); path because maybe in future I will change the web/ directory. How to do it more flexible? I found this but it doesn't answer the question how to do it more flexible from inside the Entity

Solution 1

You shouldn't use entity class as a form model here. It's simply not suitable for that job. If the entity has the path property, the only valid values it can stores are: null (in case lack of the file) and string representing the path to the file.

1. Create a separate class, that's gonna be a model for your form:

   class MyFormModel {
        /** @Assert\File */
        private $file;
   
        /** @Assert\Valid */
        private $entity;
   
        // constructor, getters, setters, other methods
   }
   

2. In your form handler (separate object configured through DIC; recommended) or the controller:

   ...
   if ($form->isValid()) {
       /** @var \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\File\UploadedFile */
       $file   = $form->getData()->getFile();
   
       /** @var \Your\Entity\Class */
       $entity = $form->getData()->getEntity();
   
       // move the file
       // $path = '/path/to/the/moved/file';
   
       $entity->setPath($path);
   
       $someEntityManager->persist($entity);
   
       return ...;
   }
   ...
   

Inside form handler/controller you can access any dependencies/properties from DIC (including path to the upload directory).

---

The tutorial you've linked works, but it's an example of bad design. The entities should not be aware of file upload.

Solution 2

To access the root directory from outside the controller you can simply inject '%kernel.root_dir%' as an argument in your services configuration.

service_name:
    class: Namespace\Bundle\etc
    arguments: ['%kernel.root_dir%']

Then you can get the web root in the class constructor:

public function __construct($rootDir)
{
    $this->webRoot = realpath($rootDir . '/../web');
}

Comments

[Mikhail]

I understood. Thanks. But how to use a lifecycle callbacks to manage a deletion of the file with your code?

[Jovan Perovic]

Based on previous experience I suggest you store absolute path (or at least relative to webroot path) as well..

[Crozin]

Create a listener, that subscribes preRemove (or preDelete) event (see how to) and unlink the file there.

[Mikhail]

How to obtain it inside an Entity?

[Benjamin Lazarecki]

It's not the responsibility of your entity to know where the document is store. Yo can move this responsibility to your controller. Or you can add a path attribute to your entity

[Mikhail]

Hm, I see that you used the __DIR__ . "/../../../../web/" too, but my question is how to avoid it.

[Tom Phillips]

I'm not sure there is one. It seemed like the best i could do was define it in one place.

[Mikhail]

got it. Thanks for your solution Tom