Using Larave Api Resource , Adding Additional data to Response

 

Github repository for more styled code 

 https://github.com/MohamedFathiM/Blogs/blob/main/apiResource.md

What is the API Resource :

A transformation layer that sits between your Eloquent models and the JSON responses.

First Time Using It:

The first time I am using the API resource, I was confused about the difference between the two classes, you will find it in the API resource of laravel (Resource, Collection), Ex: PostReource and PostCollection.

Larave Api Resource has two classes you can simply make them using artisan like that.

php artisan make:resource PostResource

This command create a class in App\Http\Resources extends JsonResource

php artisan make:resource PostCollection --collection

or

php artisan make:resource PostCollection

name of the class with suffix collection

this command create a class in App\Http\Resources extends ResourceCollection

so, what is the difference between them?

Resource Class	Collection Class
extends JsonResource	extends ResourceCollection
mapping for a single model instance $post	mapping for collection of model $posts
new PostResource(Post::find(1));	new PostCollection(Post::paginate())
cannot paginate data,	can use paginate and return metadata..
doesn't support additional metadata	with the collection.

Tutorial :

Suppose you have a new laravel project and make Post model and posts_table migration has fields title,description,user_id ..

Create PostResource and PostCollection :

 php artisan make:resource Posts/PostCollection
 php artisan make:resource Posts/PostResource

• edit PostResource toArray to be like that :

public function toArray($request)
    {
        return [
            "title"       => $this->title,
            "description" => $this->description,
            "user"        => new UserResource($this->user)
        ];
    }

• create userResource class

  php artisan make:resource Users/UserResource
  

• edit UserResource toArray to be like that :

  public function toArray($request)
    {
        return [
            "name"  => $this->name,
            "email" => $this->email
        ];
    }
  

• return to posts and edit PostResource toArray :

  public function toArray($request)
    {
        return [
            "status" => true,
            "msg"    => "All Posts",
            "data"   => $this->collection
        ];
    }
  

  Now we are ready to return response posts collection :

• Add this method in routes/web.php to quick test

  Route::get("test", function () {
    return new PostCollection(Post::paginate());
  });
  

• Now run the server into the project folder and open this link :

  php artisan ser
  

  localhost:8000/test

Finally: You will receive this response :