Return object using with() in Laravel Eloquent

Question

Currently I get data like so:

->with(['posts' => function ($query) {
            $query->active()->available()->limit(1)->with('user');
            }])

and it returns the user data as an array of objects which is expected. Because I am using a limit and will only ever need one result, I'd like to return it as a regular object, so instead of:

"data": value,
"posts": [
    {
      "data": value,
      "user": {
        "data": value
      }
    }
  ]

I'd like to return it as:

"data": value,
"post":
        {
          "data": value,
          "user": {
            "data": value
          }
        }

What's the best way to go about it?

@FelippeDuarte Not a bad idea at all and was even suggested on other forms, but doing so seems to then not trigger the ->with('user') part, and still returns postsas an array :P — Michał
– Michał, Commented Jan 23, 2018 at 20:29

Dwight · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-23 23:37:41Z

1

Create a hasOne association on your model that defines the scope you'd like.

public function activePost()
{
    return $this->hasOne(Post::class)->active()->available();
]

Then call with('activePost.user') to load that single, active and available post with it's associated user.

answered Jan 23, 2018 at 23:37

Dwight

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4 Comments

Michał Over a year ago

Seems like an idea! Will this work even if there is a hasMany relationship already defined? I just ran into the error of first() literally returning just one result instead of one result for each parent object... any ideas?

Dwight Over a year ago

Yes - they can live side-by-side, they would be totally independent of each other. You can't use first() inside of a with() scope query as someone suggest above because it is expecting a query back, not a model.

Michał Over a year ago

Would I need to write in a first() on the new association too?

Dwight Over a year ago

Nope - because it's a hasOne Laravel knows you only want a single model. Give the code a run in your project and see how it goes for you.

Apostolis Stephanou · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-24 15:22:03Z

1

As long as your relationship is a hasMany, hasManyThrough, belongsToMany, morphMany, morphedByMany relationship (I think that's all of them), eager loading will always return an array since the primary use of the with method is for adding clauses to a relationship.

Quoted from best answer on the laracasts forums: https://www.laracasts.com/discuss/channels/eloquent/first-and-take-do-not-work-correctly-in-eager-load-laravel?page=0)

@Dwight's answer is the right approach.

answered Jan 24, 2018 at 15:22

Apostolis Stephanou

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1 Comment

Dominique Over a year ago

... and how is this an answer to the question?

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