Laravel Model: Everything You Need to Know 🚀
In Laravel, Models are used for interacting with the database. They represent database tables and allow us to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations using Eloquent ORM.
1. What is a Model in Laravel?
A Model is a class that connects to a specific database table and allows you to interact with its records.
✅ Example: A User model interacts with the users table.
📄 File: app/Models/User.php
namespace App\Models;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
class User extends Model
{
use HasFactory;
}
2. Creating a Model
To create a model, use the Artisan command:
php artisan make:model Product
This creates:
📄 app/Models/Product.php
To create a model with migration:
php artisan make:model Product -m
This also creates a migration file in database/migrations/.
3. Database Table Mapping
By default, Laravel maps the model name to a table name (plural form).
✅ Example:
- Model:
Product - Table:
products
If your table name is different, define it manually:
📄 File: app/Models/Product.php
class Product extends Model
{
protected $table = 'items'; // Custom table name
}
4. Mass Assignment Protection ($fillable & $guarded)
To allow mass assignment, define $fillable or $guarded:
✅ Using $fillable (Recommended)
class Product extends Model
{
protected $fillable = ['name', 'price', 'description'];
}
✅ Using $guarded (Alternative)
class Product extends Model
{
protected $guarded = []; // Allows all fields
}
5. Performing CRUD Operations with Eloquent
Create (Insert Data)
Product::create([
'name' => 'Laptop',
'price' => 50000,
'description' => 'A high-performance laptop'
]);
Read (Get Data)
$products = Product::all(); // Get all products
$product = Product::find(1); // Find by ID
$expensive = Product::where('price', '>', 30000)->get(); // Filter
Update (Modify Data)
$product = Product::find(1);
$product->price = 55000;
$product->save();
Or use mass update:
Product::where('id', 1)->update(['price' => 55000]);
Delete (Remove Data)
$product = Product::find(1);
$product->delete();
Or directly:
Product::destroy(1); // Delete by ID
Product::where('price', '<', 1000)->delete(); // Delete by condition
6. Model Relationships
Eloquent makes handling relationships between models easy.
One-to-One Relationship
📄 File: User.php
class User extends Model
{
public function profile()
{
return $this->hasOne(Profile::class);
}
}
One-to-Many Relationship
📄 File: Post.php
class Post extends Model
{
public function comments()
{
return $this->hasMany(Comment::class);
}
}
Many-to-Many Relationship
📄 File: User.php
class User extends Model
{
public function roles()
{
return $this->belongsToMany(Role::class);
}
}
7. Soft Deletes (Keeping Deleted Records)
To enable soft deletes, add the SoftDeletes trait:
📄 File: app/Models/Product.php
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\SoftDeletes;
class Product extends Model
{
use SoftDeletes;
}
Run migration to add the deleted_at column:
php artisan make:migration add_deleted_at_to_products_table --table=products
Now, instead of permanently deleting a record, Laravel marks it as deleted.
✅ Soft Delete
$product->delete(); // Moves to trash
✅ Restore Soft Deleted Record
Product::withTrashed()->where('id', 1)->restore();
✅ Force Delete (Permanent)
$product->forceDelete();
8. Query Scopes (Reusable Filters)
Scopes allow you to reuse queries across your project.
📄 File: Product.php
class Product extends Model
{
public function scopeExpensive($query)
{
return $query->where('price', '>', 50000);
}
}
✅ Use in Controller
$expensiveProducts = Product::expensive()->get();
Conclusion
✅ Laravel Models make database interactions simple with Eloquent ORM.
✅ Define database structure using $fillable or $guarded.
✅ Use Eloquent methods for CRUD operations.
✅ Establish relationships like One-to-One, One-to-Many, and Many-to-Many.
✅ Use Soft Deletes and Query Scopes for advanced functionality.
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