Laravel Eloquent

Priority: P0 (CRITICAL)

Structure

app/
└── Models/
    ├── {Model}.php
    └── Scopes/         # Advanced global scopes

Implementation Guidelines

Query Efficiency & Performance

• N+1 Prevention: Always use

  with()

  or

  $with

  for relationships. Never access relationship properties in a loop without eager loading (N+1 Prevention).
• Strict Loading: Call

  Eloquent::preventLazyLoading(!app()->isProduction())

  in

  AppServiceProvider::boot()

  to throw

  LazyLoadingViolationException

  in local/dev.
• Large Datasets: Use

  chunk()

  ,

  lazy()

  , or

  cursor()

  for processing many records without memory issues (Memory Efficiency).

Query Logic & Scopes

• Reusable Scopes: Define

  scopeName(Builder $query): Builder

  methods in models for reusable query filters.
• Chaining: Chain scopes (e.g.,

  User::active()->verified()->get()

  ) to keep controllers from duplicating query logic.

Models & Security

• Mass Assignment: Always define

  protected $fillable

  array; use

  $request->validated()

  for

  Model::create()

  .
• Casting: Use

  protected $casts

  for dates, JSON, and custom types to ensure data consistency.

Anti-Patterns

• No lazy loading: Eager-load with

  with()

  or

  $with

  ; never in loops.
• No business logic in Models: Move to Services or Actions.
• No raw SQL strings: Use Query Builder or Eloquent methods.
• No

  select *

  : Specify required columns to limit data transfer.

References

• Eloquent Performance Guide