New Query Builder Methods Added in Laravel 11.43

• Laravel Adds withWhereRelation and findSole Methods to Query Builder
• withWhereRelation: Constraining Eager-Loaded Relationships
  • Example Usage:
• findSole: Ensuring a Unique Record Match
  • Example Usage:
• Conclusion

Laravel Adds withWhereRelation and findSole Methods to Query Builder

Two new methods have been introduced to Laravel's query builder: withWhereRelation and findSole. These improvements make querying relationships and retrieving single records more convenient and expressive. Let's dive into how they work.

withWhereRelation: Constraining Eager-Loaded Relationships

The new withWhereRelation method, contributed by @SomaiyaUtsav, allows developers to apply constraints to eager-loaded relationships directly. Previously, filtering related models required separate where constraints after eager loading. This new method simplifies that process.

Example Usage:

$users = User::query()
    ->withWhereRelation('posts', 'is_published', true)
    ->get();

This query retrieves users who have at least one published post, reducing the need for extra filtering operations.

findSole: Ensuring a Unique Record Match

The findSole method, introduced by @zepfietje, is a more restrictive version of find. It ensures that exactly one record matches the given primary key. If no record is found, or if multiple records exist, an exception is thrown.

Example Usage:

$user = User::query()->findSole($id);

Conclusion

These new methods enhance Laravel's query builder by making common tasks more intuitive. withWhereRelation provides a cleaner way to filter related models during eager loading, while findSole helps enforce data integrity by ensuring a single result. Both additions contribute to Laravel’s expressive and developer-friendly approach to database querying.

For more details, check out the official pull requests:

• Add withWhereRelation method to builder
• Add findSole query builder method