Laravel: Join Closure Inside where closure. Eloquent - php

Question

I'm trying to select some registries in my "properties" table using a filter search function.
In my controller I receive the filters and process them with an advanced where, inside it I need to look registries related by other table when the filter "room" is used. For this I'm trying to do a join inside the where closure, but the join is not working at all, the search is done ignoring the join.
Controller:
$filter_type= Input::has('filter_type') ? Input::get('filter_type') : NULL;
$filter_val= Input::has('filter_val') ? Input::get('filter_val') : NULL;
$state= NULL;
$sub_category= NULL;
$cat_operation= NULL;
$room= NULL;
if($filter_type == 'state'){
$state = $filter_val;
}
if($filter_type == 'sub_category'){
$sub_category = $filter_val;
}
if($filter_type == 'cat_operation'){
$cat_operation = $filter_val;
}
if($filter_type == 'room'){
$room = $filter_val;
}
$properties = Property::where(function($query) use ($state, $sub_category, $cat_operation, $room){
if (isset($state)){
$query->where('state_id', $state);
}
if (isset($sub_category)){
$query->where('sub_category_id', $sub_category);
}
if (isset($cat_operation)){
$query->where('cat_operation_id', $cat_operation);
}
if(isset($room)){
$query->join('properties_control', function($join) use ($room)
{
if($room == 5){
$join->on('properties.id', '=', 'properties_control.property_id')
->where('properties_control.category_feature_item_id', '=', 75)
->where('properties_control.category_feature_item_value', '>=', $room);
}else{
$join->on('properties.id', '=', 'properties_control.property_id')
->where('properties_control.category_feature_item_id', '=', 75)
->where('properties_control.category_feature_item_value', '=', $room);
}
});
}
})->paginate(20);
The join statement is not running at all.
It's possible include a join closure in a where closure like I am trying to do here? There is another way to accomplish this?

Answer 1

The main reason why your join closure is not working, is because it is enclosed in an advanced where closure.
Here's the laravel (right) way to write the code above:
$filter_type= Input::get('filter_type',null);
$filter_val= Input::get('filter_val',null);
//Start the query builder
$queryProperties = Property::newQuery();
//Switch on type of filter we received
switch($filter_type)
{
case 'state'
$queryProperties->where('state_id',$filter_val);
break;
case 'sub_category':
$queryProperties->where('sub_category_id', $filter_val);
break;
case 'cat_operation':
$queryProperties->where('cat_operation_id', $filter_val);
break;
case 'room':
$queryProperties->join('properties_control', function($join) use ($filter_val)
{
if($room == 5){
$join->on('properties.id', '=', 'properties_control.property_id')
->where('properties_control.category_feature_item_id', '=', 75)
->where('properties_control.category_feature_item_value', '>=', $filter_val);
}else{
$join->on('properties.id', '=', 'properties_control.property_id')
->where('properties_control.category_feature_item_id', '=', 75)
->where('properties_control.category_feature_item_value', '=', $filter_val);
}
});
break;
}
$properties = $queryProperties->paginate(20);