Unique key violation upon edit - php

Question

I am trying to update a blog post but I am getting unique key error from database part then I went without using model and directly accessing ORM but then again no success.
This is my routes spesific to edit
Route::get('/getedit/{slug}', array('as' => 'getedit', 'uses' => 'AdminController#getEdit'))->before('auth');
Route::post('/postedit', array('as' => 'postedit', 'uses' => 'AdminController#postEdit'))->before('auth');
Controller
public function getEdit($slug)
{
$article = Post::where('slug', '=' , $slug)
->firstOrFail();
return View::make('admin.edit', array(
'title' => $article->title,
'mainarticle' => $article->article,
'slug' => $article->slug,
'category' => $article->category
));
}
// Updates articles to database
public function postEdit()
{
$rules = [
'title' => 'required',
'article' => 'required',
'slug' => 'required|unique:posts,slug,9',
'category' => 'required'
];
$input = Input::all();
$validator = Validator::make($input, $rules);
if ($validator->fails()) {
return Redirect::route('getedit')
->withErrors($validator);
// withInput not defined
}
else
{
$slug = $input['slug'];
/*$affectedRows = Post::where('slug', '=', $slug)->update([
'title' => $input['title'],
'article' => $input['article'],
'slug' => $input['slug'],
'category' => $input['category']
]);*/
/*$affectedRows = Post::where('slug', '=', $slug)->firstOrFail();
$affectedRows->title = $input['title'];
$affectedRows->article = $input['article'];
$affectedRows->slug = $input['slug'];
$affectedRows->category = $input['category'];
$affectedRows->save();*/
$post = DB::table('posts')->where('slug', '=', $slug)->update([
'title' => $input['title'],
'article' => $input['article'],
'slug' => $input['slug'],
'category' => $input['category']
]);
if ($post) {
return Redirect::route('dashboard')
->with('flash_message','Article Successfully Inserted');
}
else
{
return Redirect::route('dashboard')
->with('flash_message','Error updating data');
}
}
}
My model is just creating object of database (I am accidentally following fat controller and thin model approach as I am just trying the framework).
I have tried using Post::find(1)->update($data); method but that is returning unique violation and my current approach is just executing else statement which is triggered upon update failure.
Note: I am new to Laravel and trying this for the first time.

Answer 1

When you update a post, you'd rather send a POST (or better PATCH/PUT- http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec9.html) request to given resource.
That said, you would include edited row key in the url, and change your method to something like this:
// route
Route::post('/postedit/{id}', array('as' => 'postedit', 'uses' => 'AdminController#postEdit'))
->before('auth');
// controller
public function postEdit($id)
{
// if no posts with $id found, throws exception - catch it and eg. show 404
$post = Post::findOrFail($id);
$rules = [
'title' => 'required',
'article' => 'required',
'slug' => 'required|unique:posts,slug,'.$id, // to ignore this row in unique check
'category' => 'required'
];
// validate
$post->fill($input)->save(); // fill() in order to use mass-assignement check
// alternatively you can just update:
// $post->update($input);
// but then make sure $input has only elements corresponding to the table columns
Additionally, read about route grouping, so you don't need to add before('auth') to those routes separately.

Answer 2

You should check your database table indexes. You should make sure that only slug has unique index.
I see that you are checking unique for slug but you hardcoded 9 in the rule:
'slug' => 'required|unique:posts,slug,9',
It should be:
'slug' => 'required|unique:posts,slug,'.$id,
where $id id of post you try to edit.
You should include such id in your form as hidden element and not search records with slug that you have because it seems you can edit your slug and you may edit the wrong record or edit nothing.