Object Relational Maps (ORMs) are practically frameworks on their own, and consist of data access, repositories, identity maps, and many more components. We feel it makes sense to let ORM experts write such software, and allow integrating these solutions in Zend Framework. Popular projects include Doctrine and Propel.
I want to use a SQL function or perform calculations in a statement I'm generating with Zend_Db_Select. How can I do this?
Actually, by default, if your expression includes parentheses, Zend_Db_Select will cast the statement appopriately. However, if it does not, or you are having problems, you can use Zend_Db_Expr to explicitly create the expression: