Laravel Eloquent Model Tips: Selecting Attributes, Cloning, Comparing, Refreshing, Updating Relations, Soft Deletes, and Change Detection

1. Selecting specific attributes with the find method

Use the second argument of User::find(1, ['name', 'email']); or User::findOrFail(1, ['name', 'email']); to retrieve only the desired columns.

2. Cloning a model

The replicate method creates a copy of an existing model:

$user = User::find(1);

$newUser = $user->replicate();

$newUser->save();

3. Determining if two models are the same

Use the is method to compare model IDs:

$user = User::find(1);

$sameUser = User::find(1);

$diffUser = User::find(2);

$user->is($sameUser); // true

$user->is($diffUser); // false

4. Reloading a model

After a database change, call refresh to reload the current instance:

$user = User::find(1);

$user->name; // 'Peter'

// name updated elsewhere

$user->refresh();

$user->name; // 'John'

5. Loading a fresh model instance fresh returns a new instance with the latest data:

$user = App\User::first();

$user->name; // John

$updatedUser = $user->fresh();

$updatedUser->name; // Peter

$user->name; // John

6. Updating related models

Define a relationship and use push to persist changes on both parent and related models:

class User extends Model {

public function phone() {

return $this->hasOne('App\Phone');

}

}

$user = User::first();

$user->name = "Peter";

$user->phone->number = '1234567890';

$user->save(); // only updates User

$user->push(); // updates User and Phone

7. Customizing the soft‑delete column

Override the default deleted_at column by defining a constant or accessor:

class User extends Model {

use SoftDeletes;

const DELETED_AT = 'is_deleted';

}

or

class User extends Model {

use SoftDeletes;

public function getDeletedAtColumn() {

return 'is_deleted';

}

}

8. Retrieving changed attributes after saving

$user = User::first();

$user->name; // John

$user->name = 'Peter';

$user->save();

dd($user->getChanges()); // ['name' => 'John', 'updated_at' => '...']

9. Checking if a model is dirty

$user = User::first();

$user->isDirty(); // false

$user->name = 'Peter';

$user->isDirty(); // true

$user->getDirty(); // ['name' => 'Peter']

$user->save();

$user->isDirty(); // false

The getChanges() method reports changes after save(), while getDirty() reports pending changes before saving.

10. Accessing original attribute values

$user = App\User::first();

$user->name; // John

$user->name = "Peter";

$user->getOriginal('name'); // John

$user->getOriginal(); // all original attributes