DTOs and getting data from a database?

@snapey great, so....

Data Out: Database -> Model -> ApiResource via Controller -> End User

Data In: Request -> Controller -> DTO (or a form request but a DTO maintains consistency if used elsewhere in the application) -> Model -> Database

Does this make sense?

@panthro DTO is good in theory, and it makes sense in some cases, but when we are talking CRUD, there isn't really any need for it.

You have the $request and the eloquent model, those to could be considered as a kind of DTO. I suggest that you keep it simple and don't make any complex solution for simple crud.

@panthro

Data In: Request -> FormRequest->Controller -> Model -> Database

In this regard, the form request class is ensuring the integrity of the data, no need for a DTO

@Snapey But what if I need to create a User from a command for example, how could I ensure the validity of the data as a form request is not used?

@panthro Then you can extract the creation to a service class, or simply just push the logic of the creation into the model.

@Tray2 ah so perhaps create a repository to deal with the data between the controller and the model - then in here, have a validator?

@panthro I hate the repository pattern, it just makes your code look like shit. Just let either the controller, or the model handle it, and use a form request to validate the data from the request.

@Tray2 but the data may not be coming from a request.

Regarding the repository pattern, if you have a complicated select, thats required in many controllers/files, would you repeat this code X times throughout your application? Where would you put it, im in that situation where i need a complex select throughout the application, so have just made a repository to deal with it.

Interested in your thoughts.

@panthro I would push that complex select into the database as a view, and then query that in a simple way.

https://tray2.se/posts/use-a-view-instead-of-a-complex-eloquent-query-in-your-laravel-application

And if I need to reuse the query in more than one place, I probably end up putting it in the model.

@Tray2 thank you for your insights.

@panthro

if you have a complicated select, thats required in many controllers/files, would you repeat this code X times throughout your application?

No, not repeat, I would build it into a scope.