Eloquent

Eloquent is an object-relational mapper (ORM) included with the Laravel PHP framework. It provides an active-record style interface for interacting with databases using model classes, allowing developers to query, insert, update, and delete records through expressive, object-oriented syntax.

In Eloquent, each model typically represents a database table, with conventions that map class names to table names. Models define relationships with other models through methods such as hasOne, hasMany, belongsTo, belongsToMany, and various polymorphic relations. This enables clean, readable queries and automatic handling of related data, often avoiding verbose joins in application code.

Key features include an expressive query builder, automatic handling of created_at and updated_at timestamps, and primary keys that default to an auto-incrementing id unless configured otherwise. Eloquent supports mass assignment protection via fillable and guarded properties, attribute casting, and accessors and mutators to transform data when reading from or writing to the database. It also provides collection enhancements, model observers, and event hooks for common lifecycle moments like creating, updating, and deleting.

Soft deletes are supported through a dedicated trait, enabling the preservation of records by marking them as deleted without removing them from the database. Eloquent also emphasizes database integration with migrations, seeders, and factories, facilitating consistent schema management and test data generation within the Laravel ecosystem.

Performance considerations include the potential for the N+1 query problem with lazy loading; developers are encouraged to use eager loading via with or load to fetch related data efficiently. Eloquent represents Laravel’s approach to combining relational data handling with an accessible, model-centric API.