Laravel route model binding: return json response when model id not found

Question

I'm developing a REST API in Laravel. I'm using route model binding to update an item. I want to return a JSON not found response when the id is not found in the database.

This is the entry in the route api.php file:

   Route::get('product/{product}', 'ProductController@show')->name('products.show');

The controller update function looks as follows:

   public function update(Request $request, Product $product)
    {
        $request->validate([
            'user_id'       =>  'required',
            'name'          =>  'nullable',
            'description'   =>  'nullable',
            'price'         =>  'nullable'
        ]);

        // check if currently authenticated user is the owner of the listing

        if (auth::user()->id !== $product->user_id) {
            return response()->json(['error' => 'You can only edit your own products.'], 403);
        }

        $product->update($request->only(['name', 'description', 'price']));

        return new ProductResource($product);
    }

With this code, Laravel automatically returns a 404 Not found view but I would like it to be a JSON response instead.

Any elegant solution to accomplish this?

Answer 1

You can try to modify app/Exceptions/Handler.php file with something like that:

// add this before the class declaration
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\ModelNotFoundException;
//....
// modify the render() function as follows
public function render($request, Exception $exception)
{
    if ($exception instanceof ModelNotFoundException && $request->wantsJson()) {
        return response()->json(['message' => 'Not Found'], 404);
    }
    return parent::render($request, $exception);
}

Let me know if it works I didn't have the time to try the code.

Answer 2

In the recent Laravel version (9) you can solve this by putting the below code inside the register function in app/Exceptions/Handler.php

  $this->renderable(function (NotFoundHttpException $exception) {
         return response()->json([
                'status' => false,
                'message' => 'Your message here',
           ], 404);
     });

Ensure to import the namespace of NotFoundHttpException. If your own error is ModelNotFoundException then do it this way

  $this->renderable(function (ModelNotFoundException $exception) {
         return response()->json([
                'status' => false,
                'message' => 'Your message here',
           ], 404);
     });