AbstractExecutor clearing ObjectManager after every load()

[rafaame]

https://github.com/doctrine/data-fixtures/blob/master/lib/Doctrine/Common/DataFixtures/Executor/AbstractExecutor.php#L122

In a project of mine I have a case of two dependent fixtures in which the ObjectManager should not have been cleared between their load(). I think it would be better if we don't call $manager->clear() if we are in case of dependent fixtures (or at least have an option to avoid that), what do you think @Ocramius ?

[stof]

why shouldn't it be cleared ? The ReferenceRepository already takes care of giving you a managed instance when getting the reference back

[tiger-seo]

it should not be cleared because of this

    public function getReference($name)
    {
        $reference = $this->references[$name];
        $meta = $this->manager->getClassMetadata(get_class($reference));
        $uow = $this->manager->getUnitOfWork();
        if (!$uow->isInIdentityMap($reference) && isset($this->identities[$name])) {
            $reference = $this->manager->getReference(
                $meta->name,
                $this->identities[$name]
            );
            $this->references[$name] = $reference; // already in identity map
        }
        return $reference;
    }

the manager being used by reference repository and the one used by loader is the same, so it is influencing directly and causing ORM to load entity every time

[stof]

@tiger-seo if the UoW is not cleared, Computing the changeset in each fixture files requires checking all previously loaded entities for changes. This is why clearing the EntityManager has been added.

and note that getReference will not load the entity. It creates a proxy for it. So depending on the way you use your reference, it is totally possible that Doctrine never needs to load it in your new fixture (if all it needs is the id, for instance when adding it in a collection)

[tiger-seo]

but it does loading, at least for associations

[stof]

depends what you are doing with your associations

[tiger-seo]

if your entity has composite identity from association than you will not be able to persist them with out intermediate flush