Laravel 12.19: Elegant Query Builders with PHP Attributes
July 7, 2025Laravel 12.19: Elegant Query Builders with PHP Attributes
In Laravel 12.19, you can now use the #[UseEloquentBuilder]
PHP attribute to assign a custom query builder to a model—no need to override newEloquentBuilder()
anymore. It's cleaner and more maintainable.
Why Use a Custom Query Builder?
- Keep models lean—models focus on relationships, not query logic.
- Centralize reusable logic like
wherePublished()
in one place. - Organize code better—all custom queries live together.
The Old Way
// app/Models/Article.php
namespace App\Models;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use App\Builders\ArticleBuilder;
class Article extends Model {
public function newEloquentBuilder($query) {
return new ArticleBuilder($query);
}
}
The New Way
// app/Models/Article.php
namespace App\Models;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use App\Builders\ArticleBuilder;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Attributes\UseEloquentBuilder;
#[UseEloquentBuilder(ArticleBuilder::class)]
class Article extends Model {
// no more override!
}
Builder Example
// app/Builders/ArticleBuilder.php
namespace App\Builders;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Builder;
class ArticleBuilder extends Builder {
public function whereActive(): static {
return $this->where('is_active', true);
}
public function recent(int $days = 7): static {
return $this->whereDate('created_at', '>=', now()->subDays($days));
}
public function byCategory(string $slug): static {
return $this->whereHas('category', fn($q) => $q->where('slug', $slug));
}
}
Usage
$articles = Article::query()
->whereActive()
->recent(14)
->byCategory('tech')
->orderByDesc('published_at')
->paginate(10);
Pro Tips
- ✅ Only use when query logic gets reused.
- ⚙️ Keep method names flexible, e.g.
recent(int $days)
. - 🧪 Add unit tests for each builder method.
- 📘 Consider combining with global scopes.
This feature was introduced in Laravel 12.19 along with other improvements like AsFluent
, FailOnException
job middleware, and new response assertion methods.
Blog
What’s New in ECMAScript 2025
Jun 30, 2025
What’s New in ECMAScript 2025 On June 25, 2025, Ecma International officially approved ES2025, adding several useful features: 1. 📦 Import At...
Supercharge Your PHP Enums with archtechx/enums
Jul 01, 2025
Supercharge Your PHP Enums with archtechx/enums PHP 8.1 introduced native enums—type‑safe sets of named values like statuses or roles. The arch...
Analyze Laravel Projects with Introspect
Jul 01, 2025
Analyze Laravel Codebases with Laravel Introspect If you’re doing a complex refactor or building dev tools, Laravel Introspect helps you quer...
Mastering Laravel 12 Conditional Validation
Jul 07, 2025
Mastering Laravel 12 Conditional Validation Laravel 12's validation system is super powerful, and conditional validation makes your forms...
Stop Copy-Pasting Code! Learn How to Use Traits in Laravel the Right Way
Jul 01, 2025
🚫 Stop Copy-Pasting Code! Ever duplicated slug logic or logging across multiple models? Laravel's Traits got your back. 1. What’s a Trait?...
How OAuth Works
Jun 29, 2025
How OAuth Works OAuth is a protocol that allows third-party applications to access user data without sharing passwords. It's the backbone of secure a...
