Laravel create and update model with foreign relationship - php

Question

I currently have two tables namely storing users and clients. A client is related to a User in a one-to-one relationship.
I am currently storing and updating the models like so but it feels rather clunky...
public function store(Request $request)
{
$requestData = $request->all();
$user = new User();
$user->fill($requestData);
$user->save();
$client = new Client;
$client->fill($requestData);
$client->user()->associate($user);
$client->save();
return response()->json($client->toArray(), 201, ['id' => $client->id]);
}
public function update(Request $request, $id)
{
try {
$client = Client::findOrFail($id);
$user = User::findOrFail($client->fk_user);
} catch (ModelNotFoundException $e) {
return response()->json([
'error' => [
'message' => 'Client not found',
]
], 404);
}
$requestData = $request->all();
$user->fill($requestData);
$user->save();
$client->fill($requestData);
$client->user()->associate($user);
$client->save();
return response()->json($client->toArray(), 200);
}
Is there a way to refactor this to avoid having to work with both users and clients as separate models. Is there a way to perhaps fill a client and in turn fill the parent user model?
Just wondering, thanks!

Answer 1

I´ve made some refactoring inspiration for you. This is not necessarily the "right" way, but maybe you can pick up something you like.
Note! I haven't actually tested the code, its probably full of syntax errors. I just hacked it down to show some ideas. Some of the logic, like associating the user, I've imaginary placed in the client model. The error handling happens in app/Exceptions/Handler.php.
Hope you can have some use of it :)
private function saveUser($args, $user = null) {
$user = $user ?: new User();
$user->fill($args);
$user->save();
return $user;
}
private function saveClient($args, $client= null) {
$client = $client ?: new Client;
$client->fill($args);
$client->save();
return $client;
}
private function respondCreated($data = []) {
return $this->respond($data, 201, "created");
}
private function respond($data = [], $statusCode = 200, $message = "ok") {
$response = [
"message" => $message,
"data" => $data
];
return response()->json($response, $statusCode);
}
public function store(Request $request)
{
$user = $this->saveUser($request->all());
$client = $this->saveClient($request->all());
$client->saveUser($user);
return $this->respondCreated($client);
}
public function update(Request $request, $id)
{
$client = $this->saveClient($request->all(), $client::findOrFail($id));
$this->saveUser($request->all(), $client->fk_user);
return $this->respond($client);
}