How to add a M-N relationship via vardefs?

Question

I am trying to add a relationship between a custom module (Mass Interactions) and EmailAddresses, and to so in such a way that it won't need to be redone in v7.5.x when we go there.

The examples I can find are all 1-M and not N-M.

in

custom/Extension/modules/massi_Mass_Interactions/Vardefs
I added the non-db link field and the relationship:

<?php
$dictionary["massi_Mass_Interactions"]["fields"]["email_addr"] = array (
  'name' => 'email_addr',
  'type' => 'link',
  'relationship' => 'massi_email_addr_rel',
  'source' => 'non-db',
  'vname' => 'LBL_MASSI_EMAIL_ADDR_REL_FROM_EMAILADDR_TITLE',
);
$dictionary["massi_Mass_Interactions"]["relationships"]["massi_email_addr_rel"] = array(
        'lhs_module'=> 'massi_Mass_Interactions'
      , 'lhs_table'=> 'massi_mass_interactions'
      , 'lhs_key' => 'id'
      , 'rhs_module'=> 'EmailAddresses'
      , 'rhs_table'=> 'email_addresses'
      , 'rhs_key' => 'id'
      , 'relationship_type'=>'many-to-many'
      , 'join_table'=> 'email_addr_massi_rel'
      , 'join_key_lhs'=>'mass_interaction_id'
      , 'join_key_rhs'=>'email_address_id'
);
?>

and in custom/Extension/modules/EmailAddresses/Ext/Vardefs/vardefs.ext.php

<?php
$dictionary["EmailAddresses"]["fields"]["massi_mass_interactions"] = array (
  'name' => 'massi_mass_interactions',
  'type' => 'link',
  'relationship' => 'massi_email_addr_rel',
  'source' => 'non-db',
  'vname' => 'LBL_MASSI_EMAIL_ADDR_REL_FROM_MASSI_TITLE',
);
?>

I ran repair/rebuild but it's not prompting to create the relationship table, do I need to do that in sql? Am I missing something?.

thanks,

Francesca

PS. I know all about campaigns & targets, we just don't want these in campaigns or targets; and I know I could use a Person template to create my Mass Interactions module and put all these relationships in email_addr_bean_rel but I'd like to keep them separate and not load up that table.

thanks,

FrancescaS

Francesca Shiekh · Accepted Answer

Got it to work

I started from scratch, ignoring the code originally posted and created:
custom/metadata/massi_mass_interactions_email_addressesMetaData.php

<?php

$dictionary["massi_mass_interactions_email_addresses"] = array (

'relationships' =>

array (

'massi_mass_interactions_emailaddresses' =>

array (

'lhs_module' => 'massi_Mass_Interactions',

'lhs_table' => 'massi_mass_interactions',

'lhs_key' => 'id',

'rhs_module'=> 'EmailAddresses',

'rhs_table'=> 'email_addresses',

'rhs_key' => 'id',

'relationship_type' => 'many-to-many',

'join_table' => 'massi_mass_interactions_email_addresses',

'join_key_lhs' => 'massi_id',

'join_key_rhs' => 'emailaddr_id',

),

'table' => 'massi_mass_interactions_email_addresses',

'fields' =>

array (

0 =>

array (

'name' => 'id',

'type' => 'varchar',

'len' => 36,

),

1 =>

array (

'name' => 'date_modified',

'type' => 'datetime',

),

2 =>

array (

'name' => 'deleted',

'type' => 'bool',

'len' => '1',

'default' => '0',

'required' => true,

),

3 =>

array (

'name' => 'massi_id',

'type' => 'varchar',

'len' => 36,

),

4 =>

array (

'name' => 'emailaddr_id',

'type' => 'varchar',

'len' => 36,

),

'indices' =>

array (

'name' => 'massi_emailaddrpk',

'type' => 'primary',

'fields' => array ('id'),

),

array (

'name' => 'idx_massi_emailaddr_massi',

'type' => 'index',

'fields' => array ( 'massi_id'),

),

array (

'name' => 'idx_massi_emailaddr_emailaddr',

'type' => 'index',

'fields' => array ( 'emailaddr_id'),

),

array (

'name' => 'idx_massi_emailaddr_id',

'type' => 'alternate_key',

'fields' => array ( 'massi_id', 'emailaddr_id'),

),

array (

'name' => 'idx_emailaddr_massi_id',

'type' => 'alternate_key',

'fields' => array ( 'emailaddr_id', 'massi_id'),

),

);

and in

custom/Extension/application/Ext/TableDictionary/massi_mass_interactions_email_addresses.php

<?php

include('custom/metadata/massi_mass_interactions_email_addressesMetaData.php');

?>

repair rebuild prompted me to create the table

FrancescaS