Ting Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation

   composer require ccmbenchmark/ting
   

   Add the service provider to config/app.php under providers:

   Ccmbenchmark\Ting\TingServiceProvider::class,
   

2. Define a Model Create a model extending Ccmbenchmark\Ting\Datamapper:

   namespace App\Models;
   
   use Ccmbenchmark\Ting\Datamapper;
   
   class User extends Datamapper
   {
       protected $table = 'users';
       protected $primaryKey = 'id';
   }
   

3. First Use Case: Fetching a Record

   $user = User::find(1);
   // Automatically maps DB row to object properties
   

4. Configuration Check config/ting.php for default settings (e.g., connection, caching). Override via:

   'default' => [
       'connection' => 'mysql',
       'cache' => true,
   ],
   

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. CRUD Operations

   // Create
   $user = new User(['name' => 'John', 'email' => 'john@example.com']);
   $user->save();
   
   // Read
   $users = User::all(); // Collection of models
   $user = User::find(1);
   
   // Update
   $user->name = 'Jane';
   $user->save();
   
   // Delete
   $user->delete();
   

2. Query Building Use fluent methods (similar to Eloquent):

   $activeUsers = User::where('active', true)->orderBy('name')->get();
   

3. Relationships (Basic) Define relationships via hasOne, hasMany:

   class Post extends Datamapper
   {
       public function user()
       {
           return $this->hasOne(User::class, 'user_id');
       }
   }
   

4. Events & Hooks Override lifecycle methods:

   protected static function boot()
   {
       static::creating(function ($model) {
           $model->created_at = now();
       });
   }
   

Integration Tips

• Hybrid Models: Extend Datamapper alongside Eloquent traits for mixed workflows.
• Validation: Use Laravel’s FormRequest or Validator before save().
• Transactions: Wrap operations in DB::transaction() for atomicity.
• Caching: Enable cache: true in config to reduce DB load for repeated queries.

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. No Built-in Relationship Loading Unlike Eloquent, ting doesn’t auto-load relationships. Use with() explicitly:

   $user = User::with('posts')->find(1);
   

2. Primary Key Assumptions Assumes $primaryKey is set correctly. Defaults to id, but override if using custom keys.

3. Mass Assignment Risks No $guarded or $fillable by default. Validate input manually or use traits:

   use Ccmbenchmark\Ting\Concerns\HasFillable;
   

4. Connection Overrides Config must specify the DB connection. Defaults to Laravel’s default connection.

Debugging

• Query Logging: Enable Laravel’s query logging (config/database.php) to inspect raw SQL.
• Model Events: Use static::saved() or static::deleted() for debugging lifecycle hooks.
• Cache Issues: Clear config cache (php artisan config:clear) if changes to ting.php aren’t reflected.

Extension Points

1. Custom Query Builder Override newQuery() to inject logic:

   protected function newQuery()
   {
       return parent::newQuery()->where('deleted_at', null);
   }
   

2. Dynamic Attributes Use getAttribute() and setAttribute() for computed properties:

   public function getFullNameAttribute()
   {
       return "{$this->first_name} {$this->last_name}";
   }
   

3. Repository Pattern Create a repository class to abstract ting usage:

   class UserRepository {
       public function findActiveUsers()
       {
           return User::where('active', true)->get();
       }
   }
   

4. Testing Use Mockery to stub Datamapper queries in unit tests:

   $mockUser = Mockery::mock(User::class);
   $mockUser->shouldReceive('find')->andReturn(new User());