Laravel Eloquent API resource is returning empty array when no data

Question

I am using etrepat baum laravel module to store and generate hierarchy. Also using eloquent api resource to customize the json data returned.

Currently empty children are returned if no children available. Is it possible to have children only if available?

Current Result

[{
    "id": "1",
    "text": "Vegetables",
    "children": [{
        "id": "2",
        "text": "Onion",
        "children": []
    }, {
        "id": "3",
        "text": "Tomato",
        "children": []
    }, {
        "id": "4",
        "text": "Chilli",
        "children": []
    }, {
        "id": "5",
        "text": "Potato",
        "children": []
    }]
}, {
    "id": "6",
    "text": "Fruits",
    "children": [{
        "id": "7",
        "text": "Apple",
        "children": [{
            "id": "12",
            "text": "Red Apple",
            "children": []
        }, {
            "id": "13",
            "text": "Green Apple",
            "children": []
        }]
    }, {
        "id": "8",
        "text": "Banana",
        "children": [{
            "id": "14",
            "text": "Red Banana",
            "children": []
        }, {
            "id": "15",
            "text": "Yellow Banana",
            "children": []
        }]
    }, {
        "id": "9",
        "text": "Orange",
        "children": []
    }, {
        "id": "10",
        "text": "Papaya",
        "children": []
    }, {
        "id": "11",
        "text": "Guava",
        "children": []
    }]
}]

Expected Result

[{
    "id": "1",
    "text": "Vegetables",
    "children": [{
        "id": "2",
        "text": "Onion"
    }, {
        "id": "3",
        "text": "Tomato"
    }, {
        "id": "4",
        "text": "Chilli"
    }, {
        "id": "5",
        "text": "Potato"
    }]
}, {
    "id": "6",
    "text": "Fruits",
    "children": [{
        "id": "7",
        "text": "Apple",
        "children": [{
            "id": "12",
            "text": "Red Apple"
        }, {
            "id": "13",
            "text": "Green Apple"
        }]
    }, {
        "id": "8",
        "text": "Banana",
        "children": [{
            "id": "14",
            "text": "Red Banana"
        }, {
            "id": "15",
            "text": "Yellow Banana"
        }]
    }, {
        "id": "9",
        "text": "Orange"
    }, {
        "id": "10",
        "text": "Papaya"
    }, {
        "id": "11",
        "text": "Guava"
    }]
}]

CategoryResource.php

public function toArray($request) {
    return [
        'id' => (string) $this->id,
        'text' => (string) $this->name,
        'children' => CategoryResource::collection($this->children)
    ];
}

CategoryController.php

public function index()
{
        CategoryResource::withoutWrapping();
        $categories = Category::all()->toHierarchy()->values();
        return new CategoryResourceCollection($categories);
}

Saravanan · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-31 11:38:09Z

3

You can check before adding it to the array and if it's empty don't add it to the returned array :

public function toArray($request) {
    $result =  [
            'id' => (string) $this->id,
            'text' => (string) $this->name
        ];

    $child = CategoryResource::collection($this->children);
    if (!$child->isEmpty()) {
       $result['children'] = $child;
    }

    return $result;
}

edited Jan 31, 2018 at 11:38

Saravanan

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answered Jan 31, 2018 at 9:01

Maraboc

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2 Comments

Saravanan Over a year ago

Thanks a lot. Slightly modified the empty check to "if (!$child->isEmpty())" and it worked.

Maraboc Over a year ago

It's ok i thought that it return an array not a collection :p

Saranga A · Accepted Answer · 2018-11-26 05:57:33Z

1

In Laravel 5.7, you could use:

public function toArray($request) {
    return [
        'id' => (string) $this->id,
        'text' => (string) $this->name,
        'children' => CategoryResource::collection($this->whenLoaded('children'))
    ];
}

answered Nov 26, 2018 at 5:57

Saranga A

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1 Comment

llioor Over a year ago

It is correct "this->whenLoaded" (so I voted up) but it will still not work because it's "loaded" but empty.

llioor · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-31 10:44:55Z

0

Correct answer for Laravel 5.7

public function toArray($request) {
    return [
        'id' => (string) $this->id,
        'text' => (string) $this->name,
        'children' => CategoryResource::collection($this->when(!$this->children->isEmpty()))
    ];
}

In this example, if the children is empty, the children key will be removed from the resource response entirely before it is sent to the client.

answered Jan 31, 2019 at 10:44

llioor

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Comments

Edward Millen · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-27 14:23:17Z

0

If you also need this to work correctly with Conditional Relationships (i.e. not trigger loading of each relationship just to check whether it's empty), this is the best way I could figure out (based partly on the other answers here, plus some trial and error)

public function toArray($request)
{
    $children = $this->whenLoaded('children');
    return [
        'id' => $this->id,
        'text' => $this->text,
        'children' => $this->when(method_exists($children, 'isEmpty') && !$children->isEmpty(), CategoryResource::collection($children))
    ];
}

answered May 27, 2020 at 14:23

Edward Millen

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