Laravel appending JSON object when filtering columns with a given value

Question

I'm trying to create a search bar to allow users to:

(1) filter two tables with a given value,

(2) and also appending a 'status' column inside each 'row'

I did the first part like following:

public function getFilterBooks($input)
{
    $books = DB::table('books')
    ->join('categories', 'books.cat_id', '=', 'categories.id')
    ->where('b_name', 'LIKE', '%' . $input . '%')
    ->orWhere('b_author', 'LIKE', '%' . $input . '%')
    ->orWhere('cat_name', 'LIKE', '%' . $input . '%')
    ->get();
 }

return Response::json($books);

The JSON results returns fine:

[ { "id" : 1,
    "b_name" : "foo Name",
    "b_author" : "bar author",
    "cat_name" : "foobar cat",
  },
  { "id" : 2,
    "b_name" : "foo Name2",
    "b_author" : "bar author2",
    "cat_name" : "foobar cat2",
  }
 ]

However, I want to add some logical attribute here, such as when the b_author name is equal to the logged-in user fullname , then show the status as true , else false

Something like this: (Obviously it won't work)

if($books.b_author == Auth::user()->fullname){
  //set status as 'true'
}

Add should show something like this:

[ { "id" : 1,
    "b_name" : "foo Name",
    "b_author" : "bar author",
    "cat_name" : "foobar cat",
    "status" : true
  },
  { "id" : 2,
    "b_name" : "foo Name2",
    "b_author" : "bar author2",
    "cat_name" : "foobar cat2",
    "status" : false
  }
 ]

So the JSON result returns differently depending on the logged in user.

Answer 1

If you don't use other members' posts at all, your query is wrong. Should be like this:

$books = DB::table('books')
    ->join('categories', 'books.cat_id', '=', 'categories.id')
    ->where(function ($clause) {
        $clause->where('b_name', 'LIKE', '%' . $input . '%')
            ->orWhere('cat_name', 'LIKE', '%' . $input . '%')
    })
    ->where('b_author', Auth::id())
    ->get();

If you do use them hovewer, add this two piece of code to your model:

protected $appends = [ 'status' ];

-

public function getStatusAttribute()
{
    return $this->b_author == Auth::user()->fullname;
}

Answer 2

I think this can be solve through eloquent model, please have a look my solution used in a project.

For the simple of the solution I just override the toArray() method.

For elxample:

class Example extends \Eloquent {
    //...
    public function toArray(){
        $array = parent::toArray();
        $array['status'] = ($array['b_author'] == Auth::user()->fullname)?true:false; 
        //just updating to required attribute result
        return $array;
    }
}

And whenever i call this model using:

Example::all()->toArray()

which will add automatically a element to all element of array.

Update

Another way to handle logical attribute in a model:

In order to force your attribute to be returned in the array, add it as a key to the $attributes array.

class User extends Eloquent {
    protected $attributes = array(
        'status' => '',
    );

    public function getStatusCode()
    {
        return ....
    }
}

Update-1

As per the 5.1.

class User extends Eloquent {
 protected $appends = array('status');

    public function getStatusAttribute() {
      return 'someStatus';
   }
}

If you still face something confusing to resolve it let me know.

Answer 3

I suppose the easiest way would be to do it in the database and add a select clause, something like this:

public function getFilterBooks($input)
{
    $books = DB::table('books')
    ->join('categories', 'books.cat_id', '=', 'categories.id')
    ->select(
        ['*', DB::raw('books.b_author = :username as status')], 
        [Auth::user()->fullname]
    )
    ->where('b_name', 'LIKE', '%' . $input . '%')
    ->orWhere('b_author', 'LIKE', '%' . $input . '%')
    ->orWhere('cat_name', 'LIKE', '%' . $input . '%')
    ->get();
}

return Response::json($books);

The reason for putting the Auth::user()->fullname in a separate array is because we want to escape it properly even though it's used in a DB::raw() query. And since you want all of the regular columns, we add the '*' to the select array as well.

Edit: explanation as requested:

When we do select x = y as z ... in SQL, we compare x with y, and z is set to 1 if they're equal, or 0 if they're not.

So in books.b_author = :username as status , we're saying "compare the b_author column from the table books with the value :username". But :username is just a placeholder for a value we'll insert later. That's what we do in the second array, [Auth::user()->fullname] - we replace :username with the logged-in user's fullname value.

That way, you can make the comparison directly in the query without any hassle in php afterwards to manipulate the results array.