What is Laravel Eloquent?

Eloquent is Laravel's eloquent way of interacting with databases. It provides an active record implementation for working with database records using a simple and expressive syntax. Eloquent models, representing database tables, offer a clean and intuitive way to interact with databases without having to write complex SQL queries.

Key Features of Laravel Eloquent Models

1. Model Creation:

To create a new Eloquent model in Laravel, developers can extend the Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model class. This model class is a representation of a database table, and Laravel automatically associates it with the appropriate table based on naming conventions.

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<?php

namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;

class User extends Model
{
    // Model implementation
}

2. CRUD Operations:

Eloquent models simplify CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations. Creating a new record, fetching records, updating existing records, and deleting records can be achieved with concise and readable code.

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// Create
$user = new User;
$user->name = 'John Doe';
$user->email = '[email protected]';
$user->save();

// Read
$users = User::all();
$user = User::find(1);

// Update
$user = User::find(1);
$user->name = 'Updated Name';
$user->save();

// Delete
$user = User::find(1);
$user->delete();

3. Relationships:

Eloquent simplifies defining and working with database relationships. Relationships such as one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many are effortlessly established, enhancing the clarity and organization of your code.

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// One-to-Many Relationship
class Post extends Model
{
    public function comments()
    {
        return $this->hasMany(Comment::class);
    }
}

// Accessing related data
$post = Post::find(1);
$comments = $post->comments;

4. Query Scopes:

Eloquent provides query scopes, allowing developers to encapsulate commonly used queries within the model. This enhances code reusability and keeps the codebase clean.

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class User extends Model
{
    public function scopeActive($query)
    {
        return $query->where('active', 1);
    }
}

// Usage
$activeUsers = User::active()->get();

5. Mass Assignment Protection:

Eloquent models automatically protect against mass assignment vulnerabilities by specifying which attributes can be mass-assigned using the fillable or guarded properties.

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class User extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = ['name', 'email', 'password'];
}

6. Event Handling:

Laravel Eloquent models support event listeners, allowing developers to hook into various points in the model's lifecycle, such as creating, updating, or deleting records.

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class User extends Model
{
    protected static function booted()
    {
        static::created(function ($user) {
            // Logic to execute after user creation
        });
    }
}

Conclusion

Laravel Eloquent models are a cornerstone of Laravel's ORM system, providing an elegant and expressive way to interact with databases. With features like CRUD operations, relationships, query scopes, and event handling, Eloquent simplifies database interactions, making development more efficient and enjoyable. As you embark on Laravel development, embracing the power and flexibility of Eloquent models will undoubtedly contribute to the success and maintainability of your applications.