Laravel - Failing to get results of collection with 'when' - laravel

Question

Trying to optimise my code and not have a bunch of if statements and converting to using 'when'.
Old code was as follows (worked fine):
$bursary_administrator = BursaryAdministrator::findOrFail(\Auth::user()->userable_id);
$search = $request->search;
if($search == ''){
$students = $bursary_administrator->students()
->select('students.id',DB::raw("CONCAT(student_name,' ',student_middle_names,' ',student_surname) AS `student_complete_name`"))
->orderby('student_complete_name','asc')->get();
}else{
$students = $bursary_administrator->students()
->select('students.id',DB::raw("CONCAT(student_name,' ',student_middle_names,' ',student_surname) AS `student_complete_name`"))
->whereraw("CONCAT(student_name,' ',student_middle_names,' ',student_surname) like ?",['%'.$search.'%'])
->orderby('student_complete_name','asc')->get();
}
Then I converted to using 'when' and also added an extra condition (active):
$bursary_administrator = BursaryAdministrator::findOrFail(\Auth::user()->userable_id);
$students = $bursary_administrator->students()->select('students.id',DB::raw("CONCAT(student_name,' ',student_middle_names,' ',student_surname) AS `student_complete_name`"));
$students->when(request('search') != '', function ($q) {
return $q->whereraw("CONCAT(student_name,' ',student_middle_names,' ',student_surname) like ?",['%'.request('search').'%']);
})->when(request('active') == true, function ($q) {
return $q->whereIn('status',[1,4,6,7]);
});
$students->orderby('student_complete_name','asc')->get();
$response = array();
foreach($students as $student){
$response[] = array(
"id"=>$student->id,
"text"=>$student->student_complete_name
);
}
However, getting errors (the below is from tinker testing):
PHP Notice: Trying to get property 'id' of non-object in Psy Shell code on line 2
PHP Notice: Trying to get property 'student_complete_name' of non-object in Psy Shell code on line 2
What have I done wrong? I was folowing https://laraveldaily.com/less-know-way-conditional-queries/ and the difference is that there they were using a query, and I used it 'directly' on the model?

Answer 1

Ok, your problem is you are trying to loop an QueryBuilder and not the results of it. Which you do not assign to anything.
$students->orderby('student_complete_name','asc')->get();
To fix it.
$students = $students->orderby('student_complete_name','asc')->get();
But wait, there is more. I think you can make this a little more clear.
In your when boolean statements, not equal empty string, is equivalent to just checking the string as (bool) $string. Way more readable secondly, PHP's type juggling will convert a lot of cases to true. So if active is any string unless 0, it will return true.
Instead of making a transformation array, let Laravel handle the transformation. Make your calculated name, as an accessor and add it to the response with appends. Therefor in your Student.php model. Add the following.
class Student {
protected $appends = ['name'];
public function getNameAttribute(): string
{
return $this->attributes['student_complete_name'] ?? '';
}
}
Now you whole code can be as simple as.
$bursary_administrator = BursaryAdministrator::findOrFail(\Auth::user()->userable_id);
$students = $bursary_administrator->students()->select('students.id',DB::raw("CONCAT(student_name,' ',student_middle_names,' ',student_surname) AS `student_complete_name`"));
$students->when(request('search'), function ($q) {
return $q->whereraw("CONCAT(student_name,' ',student_middle_names,' ',student_surname) like ?",['%'.request('search').'%']);
})->when(request('active') === '1', function ($q) {
return $q->whereIn('status',[1,4,6,7]);
});
return $students->orderby('student_complete_name','asc')->get();