samsonframework / orm

     * @param mixed $return External variable to store query results

     * @return mixed If no arguments passed returns query results collection, otherwise query success status

     */

    public function exec(&$return = null)

    {

        // Call handlers stack

        $this->_callHandlers();

        /** @var RecordInterface[] Perform DB request */

        $return = $this->database->find($this->class_name, $this);

        // Clear this query

        $this->flush();

        // Return bool or collection

        return func_num_args() ? sizeof($return) : $return;

    }

    /**

     * Perform database request and get first record from results collection

     * @return mixed If no arguments passed returns query results first database record object,

     * otherwise query success status

     */

    public function first(& $return = null)

    {

        // Call handlers stack

        $this->_callHandlers();

        /** @var RecordInterface[] Perform DB request */

        $return = array_shift($this->database->find($this->class_name, $this));

        // Clear this query

        $this->flush();

        // Return bool or collection

        return func_num_args() ? sizeof($return) : $return;

    }

    /**

     * Perform database request and get array of record field values

     * @param string $return External variable to store query results

     * @return Ambigous <boolean, NULL, mixed>

     */

    public function fields($fieldName, &$return = null)

    {

        // Call handlers stack

        $this->_callHandlers();

        // Perform DB request

        $return = $this->database->fetchColumn($this->class_name, $this, $fieldName);

        // Return bool or collection

        return func_num_args() > 1 ? sizeof($return) : $return;

    }

    /**

     * Set query entity to work with.