Laravel search keyword in multiple relationships using eloquent query

Searcing is essential for every table or blog post or any content you display to the user. Searching makes it easy to find the particular records from the database table that match the keyword string.

Let me take the best example to help you understand laravel searching better.

1. First create a new laravel project.

composer create-project laravel/laravel

cd laravel

composer install

2. Database Configuration

After successfully installing the laravel Application, Go to your project .env file and set up database credentials and move next step :

DB_CONNECTION=mysql

DB_HOST=127.0.0.1

DB_PORT=3306

DB_DATABASE="your database name here"

DB_USERNAME="database username here"
 
DB_PASSWORD="database password here"

3. Creating blog project models

Here we are taking a blog post example that having multiple tags & category so you can search from them.

php artisan make:model Post -m

php artisan make:model PostCategory -m

php artisan make:model PostTag -m 

php artisan make:model PostAttribute -m

4. Migrateing the tables into database 

You will find these migration files in database > migration folder. and change their content as written below.

create_posts_table.php

 public function up()
    {
        Schema::create('posts', function (Blueprint $table) {
            $table->id();
            $table->string('title',255)->nullable();
            $table->string('slug',255)->unique()->nullable();
            $table->text('content')->nullable();
            $table->boolean('status')->default(false);
            $table->timestamps();
        });
    }

create_post_categories_table.php

 public function up()
    {
        Schema::create('post_categories', function (Blueprint $table) {
            $table->id();
            $table->string('name',255)->nullable();
            $table->timestamps();
        });
    }

create_post_tags_table.php

 public function up()
    {
        Schema::create('post_tags', function (Blueprint $table) {
            $table->id();
            $table->string('name',255)->nullable();
            $table->timestamps();
        });
    }

create_post_attributes_table.php

   public function up()
    {
        Schema::create('post_attributes', function (Blueprint $table) {
            $table->id();
            $table->enum('type',['category','tag'])->default('category');
            $table->bigInteger('table_id')->unsigned();
            $table->bigInteger('post_id')->unsigned();
            $table->timestamps();
        });
    }

Migrate these tables by running the following command

php artisan migrate

5. Make relationship for your post model

Go to the app/model/post.php and add the following code into your file

  public function categories():HasManyThrough
    {
        return $this->hasManyThrough(PostCategory::class,PostAttribute::class,'post_id','id','id','table_id')->where('type','category');
    }

  public function tags():HasManyThrough
    {
        return $this->hasManyThrough(PostTag::class,PostAttribute::class,'post_id','id','id','table_id')->where('type','tag');
    }

6. Searching keyword in multiple relationships query

Make a controller file IndexController.php

php artisan make:controller IndexController

Add the following search function into app/http/controllers/IndexController.php

IndexController.php

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;

use App\Models\Post;

class IndexController extends Controller
{
    
    public $search;

    public function Search(Request $request)
    {

        if($request->has('seach'))
        {
            $this->search = $request->get('seach');
            $posts = Post::where('status',1)
            ->where(function ($q){
                $q->orWhere('title','LIKE',"%{$this->search}%")
                   ->orWhere(function ($qry){
                       $qry->whereHas('categories',function ($qc){
                           $qc->where('post_categories.name',$this->search);
                        });
                   })
                    ->orWhere(function ($qry){
                        $qry->whereHas('tags',function ($qt){
                            $qt->where('post_tags.name',$this->search);
                        });
                    });
            })->paginate(10);
            $posts->append('seach');
        }
        else
        {
            $posts = Post::where('status',1)->paginate(10);
        }

        return view('welcome',compact('posts'));

    }
}