Complex query and getting results by slug instead of ID in laravel - php

Question

I have complex query and relation which I'm not fully understand. I'm kind of new in Laravel. Anyway, I'm looking for a way to load this with slugs instead of ID's.
This is the function in the controller
public function index( $category_id)
{
$Category = new Category;
$allCategories = $Category->getCategories();
$category = Category::find($category_id);
if($category->parent_id == 0) {
$ids = Category::select('id')->where('parent_id', $category_id)->where('parent_id','!=',0)->get();
$array = array();
foreach ($ids as $id) {
$array[] = (int) $id->id;
}
$items = Item::whereIn('category_id',$array)->where('published', 1)->paginate(5);
} else {
$items = Item::where('category_id' ,$category_id)->where('published', 1)->paginate(5);
}
return view('list', compact('allCategories','items'));
}
Those are relations in the Model
public function item()
{
return $this->hasMany('App\Item','category_id');
}
public function children()
{
return $this->hasMany('App\Category', 'parent_id');
}
public function getCategories()
{
$categoires = Category::where('parent_id',0)->get();
$categoires = $this->addRelation($categoires);
return $categoires;
}
public function selectChild( $id )
{
$categoires = Category::where('parent_id',$id)->where('published', 1)->paginate(40);
$categoires = $this->addRelation($categoires);
return $categoires;
}
public function addRelation( $categoires )
{
$categoires->map(function( $item, $key)
{
$sub = $this->selectChild($item->id);
$item->itemCount = $this->getItemCount($item->id , $item->parent_id );
return $item = array_add($item, 'subCategory', $sub);
});
return $categoires;
}
public function getItemCount( $category_id )
{
return Item::where('category_id', $category_id)->count();
}
This is what I have in my routes
Route::get('list/{category}', 'ListController#index')->name('list');
currently is loading urls like http://example.com/list/1 where 1 is the ID. I'm wonder if with current setup is possible to make it like, http://example.com/slug
I'm aware how slugs are working. I just can't understand how to use them in queries instead of ID's

Answer 1

You can use explicit Route Model Binding to grab your Category by slug before processing it.
In your RouteServiceProvider you need to bind the model:
Route::bind('category', function ($value) {
//Change slug to your column name
return App\Category::where('slug', $value)->firstOrFail();
});
Then, you can typehint the categories.
For example in your index method:
public function index(Category $category)
{
$Category = new Category;
$allCategories = $Category->getCategories();
//This line is obsolete now:
//$category = Category::find($category_id);
//...
}

Answer 2

Try to change your index function parameter from $category_id to $category_slug
Remove this line $Category = new Category;
And change this $category = Category::find($category_id);
To this: $category = Category::where('slug', $category_slug)->first();
*Assuming that you have a unique slug in category table