Seeking advice on structuring API and custom data in a single Model

To address your requirement of managing platform data fetched from the IGDB API while allowing for custom modifications, you can consider a hybrid approach that combines both API data and custom data within a single model. Here's a structured way to achieve this:

Database Structure

1. Platforms Table: This table will store the platform data fetched from the IGDB API, along with any custom modifications.

   • id: Primary key.
   • api_id: The ID from the IGDB API.
   • name: The original name fetched from the API.
   • custom_name: A nullable field for any custom name modifications.
   • other_fields: Any other fields you might need from the API.

Model Structure

In your Platform model, you can use an accessor to determine which name to display:

class Platform extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = ['api_id', 'name', 'custom_name', 'other_fields'];

    public function getNameAttribute()
    {
        return $this->custom_name ?? $this->name;
    }
}

Workflow

1. Fetching and Storing Data: When you fetch data from the IGDB API, store it in the Platforms table. If a platform already exists, update the existing record without overwriting the custom_name.

2. Modifying Data: When a user modifies the platform name, update the custom_name field. This ensures that your custom modifications are preserved.

3. Reverting Changes: To revert to the original name, simply set custom_name to null.

4. Updating from API: When updating platforms from the IGDB API, ensure that you only update the name field if custom_name is null, preserving any custom modifications.

Example Code for Updating Platforms

Here's a simple example of how you might update platforms from the API:

public function updatePlatformsFromApi($apiPlatforms)
{
    foreach ($apiPlatforms as $apiPlatform) {
        $platform = Platform::updateOrCreate(
            ['api_id' => $apiPlatform['id']],
            ['name' => $apiPlatform['name'], 'other_fields' => $apiPlatform['other_fields']]
        );

        // Ensure custom_name is not overwritten
        if ($platform->custom_name) {
            $platform->name = $platform->custom_name;
        }

        $platform->save();
    }
}

Conclusion

This approach allows you to maintain a single source of truth for platform data while providing flexibility for custom modifications. It also simplifies the logic for displaying platform names by using an accessor in your model. This structure should serve your needs well as you continue to develop your application.