Ordering table data - laravel

Question

I already read this piece from the laravel 5.1 documentation:
$users = DB::table('users')
->orderBy('name', 'desc')
->get();
I have no ideia where to write that.
And this is what I tried to write inside my Model:
class Professor extends Model
{
$professor = DB:table('professor')->orderBy('name','asc')->get();
}
Also tried:
class Professor extends Model
{
Professor::orderBy('name')->get();
//$professor = Professor::orderBy('name')->get();
}
Nothing works e.e
All of them give me erros like:
syntax error, unexpected '$professor' (T_VARIABLE), expecting function (T_FUNCTION)

Answer 1

The piece of code your trying to write should not be placed inside a Model. It should be in a controller or a repository if your using a Repository Pattern.
Assuming you got the following in your code.
A table called professors. A model Professor . A Controller called ProfessorsController.
And a route file with the following code get('professors','ProfessorsController#index');
Then on the controller you should have the following code.
class ProfessorsController extends Controller {
public function index()
{
$professors = \DB:table('professors')->orderBy('name','asc')->get();
return view('proffesors')->with('proffessors',$professors);
}
}
This will return an order list of professors to the view. That is if you are using a view to represent the data.

Answer 2

It does not need to be in model. Most of time something like that goes in controller.
In model you need to define relations or functions that would be used application wide on a object.
If you want to do something similar in model you won't use DB::table you need something like:
class Professor extends \Eloquent
{
public function professorsByName(){
$professionCollection = Professor::all()->orderBy('name','asc')->get();
return $professionCollection;
}
}
Please take it as example it's not something that should go in model at least this simple not.
Mental Note
Never use DB::table reason your observer if any won't execute.

Answer 3

I think you all are missing the primary issue with
class Professor extends Model
{
$professor = DB:table('professor')->orderBy('name','asc')->get();
}
This is not how PHP classes work.
OP, you need to brush up on the concepts of OOP.
What you need is something like this:
your controller:
public function myRoutedMethod()
{
$professors = Professor::getModel()->orderBy('name','asc')->get();
foreach($professors as $professor)
{
var_dump($professor->toArray();
}
}
Or probably even better, create a repository to interface with your model and just call $repository->professors()->toArray();
Google search: Laravel Repository