Simple Eloquent Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require volosyuk/simple-eloquent
   

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

   Volosyuk\SimpleEloquent\SimpleEloquentServiceProvider::class,
   

2. Basic Usage: Define a model extending Volosyuk\SimpleEloquent\SimpleEloquent:

   use Volosyuk\SimpleEloquent\SimpleEloquent;
   
   class User extends SimpleEloquent
   {
       protected $table = 'users';
       protected $primaryKey = 'id';
   }
   

3. First Query:

   $user = User::find(1);
   echo $user->name; // Access attributes directly
   

4. Key Files:

   • SimpleEloquent.php (core class)
   • SimpleEloquentServiceProvider.php (service provider)
   • SimpleEloquentBuilder.php (query builder)

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Attribute Access:

   $user = User::find(1);
   $user->name; // Direct access (no getters/setters)
   $user->setAttribute('email', 'new@example.com');
   

2. Query Building:

   $users = User::where('active', 1)->orderBy('name')->get();
   // Uses standard Eloquent query builder methods
   

3. Relationships (Limited):

   // Define relationships in model
   public function posts()
   {
       return $this->hasMany(Post::class);
   }
   // Access via:
   $user->posts; // Collection of related models
   

4. Mass Assignment:

   $user = User::create([
       'name' => 'John',
       'email' => 'john@example.com'
   ]);
   

Integration Tips

• Hybrid Models: Extend both SimpleEloquent and Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model for advanced features:

  class HybridUser extends SimpleEloquent
  {
      use \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
  }
  

• Custom Attributes: Override getAttributes() to add computed properties:

  public function getAttributes()
  {
      return array_merge(parent::getAttributes(), [
          'full_name' => $this->first_name . ' ' . $this
          ->last_name
      ]);
  }
  

• Events: Use standard Eloquent events (creating, saved, etc.) via traits:

  use \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Concerns\HasEvents;
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. No Getters/Setters:

   • Direct attribute access bypasses traditional Eloquent mutators/accessors.
   • Workaround: Override getAttribute()/setAttribute() in your model.

2. Relationship Limitations:

   • Lazy-loaded relationships may not trigger SimpleEloquent logic.
   • Tip: Use eager loading (with()) for consistency.

3. Observer Conflicts:

   • Observers attached to Model may not work as expected.
   • Fix: Reattach observers explicitly in boot():

     protected static function boot()
     {
         parent::boot();
         static::observe(UserObserver::class);
     }
     

4. Primary Key Assumptions:

   • Assumes $primaryKey = 'id' by default. Override if using custom keys.

Debugging

• Attribute Confusion:
  • Use getDirty() or getOriginal() to inspect changes:

    dd($user->getDirty(), $user->getOriginal());
    

• Query Logs:
  • Enable query logging in config/database.php:

    'log' => true,
    'log_query_params' => true,
    

Extension Points

1. Custom Query Builder:

   • Extend SimpleEloquentBuilder for domain-specific methods:

     class CustomBuilder extends \Volosyuk\SimpleEloquent\SimpleEloquentBuilder
     {
         public function active()
         {
             return $this->where('active', 1);
         }
     }
     

   • Bind it in boot():

     protected static function boot()
     {
         static::addGlobalScope(new \App\Scopes\ActiveScope);
         static::setBuilder(new CustomBuilder());
     }
     

2. Attribute Casting:

   • Override getCasts() to handle type conversion:

     protected $casts = [
         'is_admin' => 'boolean',
         'metadata' => 'array',
     ];
     

3. Serialization:

   • Implement JsonSerializable for custom JSON output:

     public function jsonSerialize()
     {
         return array_merge($this->attributes, [
             'formatted_name' => ucfirst($this->name)
         ]);
     }