How to test your code snippets in Symfony

symfony_test.php

<?php
// These following lines load the project context
require_once(dirname(__FILE__).'/config/ProjectConfiguration.class.php');
// I use 'prod' all the time, and 'dev' only when something goes wrong
$configuration = ProjectConfiguration::getApplicationConfiguration('frontend', 'prod', false);
// Generally keep 'dev', I use 'prod' all the time, 'dev' only when something goes wrong
// If you want to test just the models and business logic:
// sfContext::createInstance($configuration);
// If you want to test URL helpers and other helpers that require controller context
sfContext::createInstance($configuration)->dispatch();

// Decide whether you want to test UI / controller or just Models. If you use dispatch, it prints out a lot more 
// stuff than you expect. I personally do not use dispatch unless i *have* to


// Write your test code here. This file loads the whole environment. It gives you full access to all code
// written Model / Business Logic

// As a bounty: This is the idiomatic way of writing queries in doctrine and eager-loading associations. 
$users = Doctrine::getTable('User')->createQuery('u')
        ->where('u.first_name like ?', '%jack%')
        ->leftJoin('u.gists g')
        ->andWhere('g.public = ?', 1)
        ->execute()
;

foreach($users as $user){
  echo $user->getFullname() . "\n";
  echo $user->getAllProjects()->count() . "\n";
  // Eager loaded. This will not fire another query
  echo $user->gists->count();
}

$first_user = $users[0];

sfProjectConfiguration::getActive()->loadHelpers('Url', 'Custom');

echo "\n\n" . url_for('user/show?permalink=' . $first_user->permalink) . "\n\n";

$param1 = 'foo';
$param2 = 'bar';
// Call a custom function written in CustomHelper
echo myCustomFunction($param1, $param2) ;

?>