What is Eloquent Models?

Eloquent Models are a core feature of the Laravel framework, providing an elegant and simple way to interact with database tables using an object-relational mapping (ORM) approach. Here’s a detailed explanation:

What is an Eloquent Model?

An Eloquent Model in Laravel is a PHP class that represents a database table. Each table in the database corresponds to a model, and this model is used to interact with the table. The Eloquent ORM allows developers to work with database records as if they were working with standard PHP objects, abstracting the complexities of SQL queries.

Key Features of Eloquent Models

1. ActiveRecord Implementation:

   • Eloquent follows the ActiveRecord pattern, where each model instance corresponds to a single row in the database table. This pattern simplifies CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations.

2. Defining Models:

   • Models are typically stored in the app/Models directory and extend the Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model class. You can create a model using the Artisan command:
     bash Copy

     php artisan make:model ModelName

   • By default, the model name is singular, and the corresponding table name is the plural form of the model name in snake_case. For example, a User model corresponds to the users table[1][4][6].

3. Retrieving Data:

   • Eloquent provides methods to retrieve data from the database. For example, to get all records from a table:
     php Copy

     $users = User::all();

   • To retrieve a record by its primary key:
     php Copy

     $user = User::find(1);

4. Inserting and Updating Data:

   • You can create a new record by instantiating the model and setting its attributes:
     php Copy

     $user = new User;
     $user->name = 'John Doe';
     $user->save();

   • To update an existing record:
     php Copy

     $user = User::find(1);
     $user->name = 'Jane Doe';
     $user->save();

5. Deleting Data:

   • To delete a record:
     php Copy

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

6. Relationships:

   • Eloquent makes it easy to define relationships between different models, such as one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many, and polymorphic relationships. For example, defining a one-to-many relationship:
     php Copy

     class User extends Model {
         public function posts() {
             return $this->hasMany(Post::class);
         }
     }

7. Query Scopes:

   • Eloquent allows th...