Limit Eloquent Model to specific columns

Question

I'm pulling from a rather large database and for security reasons, my database user can only select a limited number of columns from the student table: name, graduation_date, and gender. But there are dozens of other columns returned in a select * statement.

In regular SQL, if I run something like:

SELECT * FROM students

will return an error on that table. Same if I run the eloquent model

Students::all(); 

will return an error as well.

I know in Eloquent, you can limit your selects when defining a relationship similar to:

class Students extends Eloquent {

    protected $table        = 'student_info';

    public function classes() {
        return $this->hasMany('classes')->select(array('room', 'time'));
    }

}

So, My question is, can the select limits be done on the main model, similar to limiting it on the classes table. So, when I run Student::all(); it only selects the columns I need.

The main problem is every time I run a student Query, I'm having to do a specific select command each time instead of just saying "Student::all()". Same thing for Student::find(1); will also return an error, because it still runs a SELECT * FROM student_info WHERE id = 1.

I tried setting $visible variable, but it still renders sql equivalent to SELECT * FROM ...

Anyone have a solution?

UPDATE: Please note that I'm looking or a solution on the model level, not the controller level. I can select from the controller side, but that defeats the purpose of a Model concept and have to declare the columns to select at every query.

Thanks! Troy

Answer 1

You can create an intermediate class and overload the all() function. Let's call this class Elegant

Elegant.php

abstract class Elegant extends Model
{
    public static $returnable = [];

    public function all()
    {
        return $this->get(static::$returnable)->all();
    }
}

Then you extend this class, and define your returnable columns to it.

Student.php

<?php
class Student extends Elegant
{
    public static $returnable = ['room', 'time'];
}

Now use it as you wanted: Student::all() in your controller. If you leave returnable as an empty array, then you will get everything.