Which line tells that collection has some data captured from the database tables?

Question

This what I get using getCollection() All I can see is model, table node, connection to db etc. But where does it shows that data is here. So that I should know that there is some data returned before looping over. Thank you!

object(Gagan_Faq_Model_Mysql4_Faq_Collection)[616]

 protected '_model' => string 'faq/faq' (length=7)
  protected '_resourceModel' => string 'faq/faq' (length=7)
  protected '_resource' => 
    object(Gagan_Faq_Model_Mysql4_Faq)[617]
      protected '_resources' => 
        object(Mage_Core_Model_Resource)[48]
          protected '_connectionTypes' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_connections' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_skippedConnections' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_entities' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_mappedTableNames' => null
      protected '_resourcePrefix' => string 'faq' (length=3)
      protected '_connections' => 
        array
          'write' => 
            object(Varien_Db_Adapter_Pdo_Mysql)[139]
              ...
          'read' => 
            object(Varien_Db_Adapter_Pdo_Mysql)[139]
              ...
      protected '_resourceModel' => string 'faq' (length=3)
      protected '_tables' => 
        array
          'dinkchika' => string 'gagan_faq' (length=9)
      protected '_mainTable' => string 'dinkchika' (length=9)
      protected '_idFieldName' => string 'faq_id' (length=6)
      protected '_isPkAutoIncrement' => boolean true
      protected '_useIsObjectNew' => boolean false
      protected '_fieldsForUpdate' => 
        array
          empty
      protected '_mainTableFields' => null
      protected '_uniqueFields' => null
      protected '_serializableFields' => 
        array
          empty
  protected '_fieldsToSelect' => null
  protected '_initialFieldsToSelect' => null
  protected '_fieldsToSelectChanged' => boolean false
  protected '_joinedTables' => 
    array
      empty
  protected '_mainTable' => string 'gagan_faq' (length=9)
  protected '_resetItemsDataChanged' => boolean false
  protected '_eventPrefix' => string '' (length=0)
  protected '_eventObject' => string '' (length=0)
  protected '_useAnalyticFunction' => boolean false
  protected '_conn' => 
    object(Varien_Db_Adapter_Pdo_Mysql)[139]
      protected '_defaultStmtClass' => string 'Varien_Db_Statement_Pdo_Mysql' (length=29)
      protected '_transactionLevel' => int 0
      protected '_connectionFlagsSet' => boolean true
      protected '_ddlCache' => 
        array
          1 => 
            array
              ...
          3 => 
            array
              ...
      protected '_bindParams' => 
        array
          empty
      protected '_bindIncrement' => int 0
      protected '_debug' => boolean false
      protected '_logQueryTime' => float 0.05
      protected '_logAllQueries' => boolean false
      protected '_logCallStack' => boolean false
      protected '_debugFile' => string 'var/debug/pdo_mysql.log' (length=23)
      protected '_debugIoAdapter' => null
      protected '_debugTimer' => int 0
      protected '_cacheAdapter' => 
        object(Varien_Cache_Core)[20]
          protected '_backend' => 
            object(Zend_Cache_Backend_File)[17]
              ...
          protected '_options' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_specificOptions' => 
            array
              ...
          private '_lastId' (Zend_Cache_Core) => string 'bac_CONFIGURATION_FILES_ACCESS_LEVEL_VERIFICATION' (length=49)
          protected '_extendedBackend' => boolean true
          protected '_backendCapabilities' => 
            array
              ...
      protected '_isDdlCacheAllowed' => boolean true
      protected '_ddlColumnTypes' => 
        array
          'boolean' => string 'bool' (length=4)
          'smallint' => string 'smallint' (length=8)
          'integer' => string 'int' (length=3)
          'bigint' => string 'bigint' (length=6)
          'float' => string 'float' (length=5)
          'decimal' => string 'decimal' (length=7)
          'numeric' => string 'decimal' (length=7)
          'date' => string 'date' (length=4)
          'timestamp' => string 'timestamp' (length=9)
          'datetime' => string 'datetime' (length=8)
          'text' => string 'text' (length=4)
          'blob' => string 'blob' (length=4)
          'varbinary' => string 'blob' (length=4)
      protected '_ddlRoutines' => 
        array
          0 => string 'alt' (length=3)
          1 => string 'cre' (length=3)
          2 => string 'ren' (length=3)
          3 => string 'dro' (length=3)
          4 => string 'tru' (length=3)
      protected '_intervalUnits' => 
        array
          'YEARS' => string 'YEAR' (length=4)
          'MONTHS' => string 'MONTH' (length=5)
          'DAYS' => string 'DAY' (length=3)
          'HOURS' => string 'HOUR' (length=4)
          'MINUTES' => string 'MINUTE' (length=6)
          'SECOND' => string 'SECOND' (length=6)
      protected '_queryHook' => 
        array
          'object' => 
            object(Mage_Core_Model_Resource_Setup)[160]
              ...
          'method' => string 'callbackQueryHook' (length=17)
      protected '_pdoType' => string 'mysql' (length=5)
      protected '_numericDataTypes' => 
        array
          0 => int 0
          1 => int 1
          2 => int 2
          'INT' => int 0
          'INTEGER' => int 0
          'MEDIUMINT' => int 0
          'SMALLINT' => int 0
          'TINYINT' => int 0
          'BIGINT' => int 1
          'SERIAL' => int 1
          'DEC' => int 2
          'DECIMAL' => int 2
          'DOUBLE' => int 2
          'DOUBLE PRECISION' => int 2
          'FIXED' => int 2
          'FLOAT' => int 2
      protected '_config' => 
        array
          'host' => string 'localhost' (length=9)
          'username' => string 'root' (length=4)
          'password' => string '' (length=0)
          'dbname' => string 'm1' (length=2)
          'initStatements' => string 'SET NAMES utf8' (length=14)
          'model' => string 'mysql4' (length=6)
          'type' => string 'pdo_mysql' (length=9)
          'pdoType' => string '' (length=0)
          'active' => string '1' (length=1)
          'charset' => null
          'persistent' => boolean false
          'options' => 
            array
              ...
          'driver_options' => 
            array
              ...
      protected '_fetchMode' => int 2
      protected '_profiler' => 
        object(Zend_Db_Profiler)[73]
          protected '_queryProfiles' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_enabled' => boolean false
          protected '_filterElapsedSecs' => null
          protected '_filterTypes' => null
      protected '_defaultProfilerClass' => string 'Zend_Db_Profiler' (length=16)
      protected '_connection' => 
        object(PDO)[67]
      protected '_caseFolding' => int 0
      protected '_autoQuoteIdentifiers' => boolean true
      protected '_allowSerialization' => boolean true
      protected '_autoReconnectOnUnserialize' => boolean false
  protected '_select' => 
    object(Varien_Db_Select)[507]
      protected '_bind' => 
        array
          empty
      protected '_adapter' => 
        object(Varien_Db_Adapter_Pdo_Mysql)[139]
          protected '_defaultStmtClass' => string 'Varien_Db_Statement_Pdo_Mysql' (length=29)
          protected '_transactionLevel' => int 0
          protected '_connectionFlagsSet' => boolean true
          protected '_ddlCache' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_bindParams' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_bindIncrement' => int 0
          protected '_debug' => boolean false
          protected '_logQueryTime' => float 0.05
          protected '_logAllQueries' => boolean false
          protected '_logCallStack' => boolean false
          protected '_debugFile' => string 'var/debug/pdo_mysql.log' (length=23)
          protected '_debugIoAdapter' => null
          protected '_debugTimer' => int 0
          protected '_cacheAdapter' => 
            object(Varien_Cache_Core)[20]
              ...
          protected '_isDdlCacheAllowed' => boolean true
          protected '_ddlColumnTypes' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_ddlRoutines' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_intervalUnits' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_queryHook' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_pdoType' => string 'mysql' (length=5)
          protected '_numericDataTypes' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_config' => 
            array
              ...
          protected '_fetchMode' => int 2
          protected '_profiler' => 
            object(Zend_Db_Profiler)[73]
              ...
          protected '_defaultProfilerClass' => string 'Zend_Db_Profiler' (length=16)
          protected '_connection' => 
            object(PDO)[67]
              ...
          protected '_caseFolding' => int 0
          protected '_autoQuoteIdentifiers' => boolean true
          protected '_allowSerialization' => boolean true
          protected '_autoReconnectOnUnserialize' => boolean false
      protected '_parts' => 
        array
          'straightjoin' => boolean false
          'distinct' => boolean false
          'columns' => 
            array
              ...
          'union' => 
            array
              ...
          'from' => 
            array
              ...
          'where' => 
            array
              ...
          'group' => 
            array
              ...
          'having' => 
            array
              ...
          'order' => 
            array
              ...
          'limitcount' => null
          'limitoffset' => null
          'forupdate' => boolean false
      protected '_tableCols' => 
        array
          empty
  protected '_cacheConf' => null
  protected '_idFieldName' => null
  protected '_bindParams' => 
    array
      empty
  protected '_data' => null
  protected '_map' => null
  protected '_fetchStmt' => null
  protected '_isOrdersRendered' => boolean false
  protected '_items' => 
    array
      empty
  protected '_itemObjectClass' => string 'Gagan_Faq_Model_Faq' (length=19)
  protected '_orders' => 
    array
      empty
  protected '_filters' => 
    array
      empty
  protected '_isFiltersRendered' => boolean false
  protected '_curPage' => int 1
  protected '_pageSize' => boolean false
  protected '_totalRecords' => null
  protected '_isCollectionLoaded' => null
  protected '_cacheKey' => null
  protected '_cacheTags' => 
    array
      empty
  protected '_cacheLifetime' => int 86400
  protected '_flags' => 
    array
      empty

Answer 1

$collection = Mage::getResourceModel('catalog/product_collection');

$count = $collection->getSize(); Above is standard way magento handles collection. I have posted for product but for other collections too it uses a different model but almost same function calls.

Your code looks incomplete.

Answer 2

1. Magento collection won't load until you loop over them, or until you call load. You don't need to worry about looping over an empty collection. If nothing's returned PHP will skip the loop without error

2. A loaded collection will have a populated $_items array

3. Collection models have a isLoaded method, which allows you to check if they're loaded

Re: the third item above

$products = Mage::getModel('some/model')->getCollection();
if($products->isLoaded())
{
    //,,,
}
else
{
    //,,,
}