Magento Deprecated Use of Model - Mohamed Abbas | Architect Magento | Tech Blogger

Magento Deprecated Use of Model(Load ,Delete, Save): You Should Know

Magento has continuously evolved to enhance performance, security, and scalability. One significant change in Magento 2 is the deprecation of the direct use of models. If you’re developing extensions or customizations, understanding this shift and adapting your approach is crucial.

Why Has Magento Deprecated Direct Use of Models?

Models in Magento follow the Active Record pattern, allowing developers to interact directly with the database. While this approach is straightforward, overusing or misusing models can lead to:

Tight coupling between business logic and database operations.
Challenges in maintaining or scaling codebases.
Decreased performance due to unoptimized queries.

To address these issues, Magento promotes a repository-based architecture to abstract data operations and enhance code modularity and readability.

What Should Developers Use Instead?

Repositories
Magento repositories provide an abstraction layer over database interactions. They standardize how entities are accessed, modified, and stored. By using repositories, developers can achieve cleaner code and adhere to Magento’s Service Contracts.
Example of repository usage:

				
					<?php
use Magento\Catalog\Api\ProductRepositoryInterface;

class CustomClass
{
    private $productRepository;

    public function __construct(ProductRepositoryInterface $productRepository)
    {
        $this->productRepository = $productRepository;
    }

    public function getProductById($productId)
    {
        return $this->productRepository->getById($productId);
    }
}

2)Service Contracts
Magento encourages using Service Contracts (interfaces) for business logic. These contracts clearly define the services that your module provides or consumes, ensuring a stable API for integrations.

3)Dependency Injection (DI)
Dependency injection ensures that your code depends on abstractions rather than concrete implementations, making it more testable and maintainable.

Benefits of Moving Away from Direct Model Usage

Improved Performance: Repositories optimize data retrieval and reduce unnecessary database queries.

Better Scalability: Modular code with clear boundaries makes the system more scalable and easier to integrate with third-party tools.

Ease of Testing: Code that uses DI and repositories is easier to mock and test, promoting better unit testing practices.

Future-Proofing: Aligning with Magento’s architecture ensures that your customizations remain compatible with future updates.

Common Challenges When Transitioning

Learning Curve: If you’re accustomed to direct model use, adapting to repositories and Service Contracts may take time.

Performance Considerations: While repositories improve code organization, improper usage can lead to performance bottlenecks (e.g., loading unnecessary data).
Solution: Always retrieve only the required data by specifying filters and criteria when using repositories.

Backward Compatibility: If you’re working on legacy Magento 2 code, transitioning from models to repositories requires careful planning.

Tips for Transitioning

Audit Your Codebase: Identify areas where models are directly used and plan a phased migration to repositories.

Leverage Magento Documentation: Magento provides extensive resources and examples for using repositories and Service Contracts.

Follow Magento Best Practices: Avoid shortcuts that may break in future Magento versions.

Test Thoroughly: Ensure all custom functionalities work seamlessly after refactoring to repositories.

Conclusion

Magento’s deprecation of direct model usage is a step toward cleaner, more maintainable, and scalable code. While adapting to this change may seem challenging initially, embracing repositories, Service Contracts, and dependency injection will align your development practices with Magento’s evolving standards.

By adopting these modern approaches, you’ll not only future-proof your code but also contribute to a more robust and efficient Magento ecosystem.
Happy coding! 😊