Field Definitions

Field Definitions

The getFields() method is the core of the AutoCrud trait. It defines the metadata for each model attribute, controlling how fields appear in forms, tables, and API responses.

Basic Structure

protected static function getFields(): array
{
    return [
        [
            'name' => 'Field Label',
            'field' => 'column_name',
            'type' => 'field_type',
            'table' => true,
            'form' => true,
            'rules' => ['required' => true],
        ],
        // More fields...
    ];
}

Common Field Properties

Property	Type	Required	Description
name	string	Yes	Human-readable label for the field
field	string	Yes	Database column/attribute name
type	string	Yes	Field type (controls rendering and casting)
table	bool	No	Whether field appears in data tables
form	bool	No	Whether field appears in forms
rules	array	No	Validation rules
default	mixed	No	Default value
onlyUpdate	bool	No	Only visible/usable during updates
hidden	bool	No	Hide in forms (useful for comboField)
options	array	No	Options for select fields
endPoint	string	No	API endpoint for combobox fields
itemTitle	string	No	Field displayed in combobox
comboField	string	No	Auxiliary field added as hidden to form

Field Types

Basic Types

// String field
[
    'name' => 'Name',
    'field' => 'name',
    'type' => 'string',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

// Number field
[
    'name' => 'Price',
    'field' => 'price',
    'type' => 'number',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

// Boolean field
[
    'name' => 'Active',
    'field' => 'is_active',
    'type' => 'boolean',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

// Password field
[
    'name' => 'Password',
    'field' => 'password',
    'type' => 'password',
    'form' => true,
    'rules' => ['required' => true],
]

Date and Time Fields

// Date field
[
    'name' => 'Birth Date',
    'field' => 'birth_date',
    'type' => 'date',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

// DateTime field
[
    'name' => 'Created At',
    'field' => 'created_at',
    'type' => 'datetime',
    'table' => true,
]

Selection Fields

// Select field with options
[
    'name' => 'Gender',
    'field' => 'gender',
    'type' => 'select',
    'options' => ['Masculino', 'Femenino', 'Otro'],
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

// Combobox field
[
    'name' => 'Category',
    'field' => 'category_id',
    'type' => 'combobox',
    'endPoint' => '/api/categories',
    'itemTitle' => 'name',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

Text Fields

// Text area
[
    'name' => 'Description',
    'field' => 'description',
    'type' => 'text',
    'form' => true,
]

// Telephone field
[
    'name' => 'Phone',
    'field' => 'phone',
    'type' => 'telephone',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

// Decimal field
[
    'name' => 'Amount',
    'field' => 'amount',
    'type' => 'decimal',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

Image Fields

Image fields handle file uploads with automatic storage management. Images can be public or private (requires authentication).

// Public image (accessible without auth)
[
    'name' => 'Photo',
    'field' => 'photo',
    'type' => 'image',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
    'public' => true,
]

// Private image (requires authentication)
[
    'name' => 'Document Photo',
    'field' => 'document_photo',
    'type' => 'image',
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
    'public' => false,
]

Image Field Properties

Property	Type	Default	Description
public	bool	true	If true, image is publicly accessible. If false, requires authentication

Storage paths:

• Public: storage/public/images/{model}/{field}/{id}
• Private: storage/private/images/{model}/{field}/{id}

File Fields

File fields handle general file uploads with optional encryption for private files.

// Public file
[
    'name' => 'Attachment',
    'field' => 'attachment',
    'type' => 'file',
    'form' => true,
    'public' => true,
]

// Private file (encrypted storage, requires auth)
[
    'name' => 'Contract',
    'field' => 'contract',
    'type' => 'file',
    'form' => true,
    'public' => false,
]

File Field Properties

Property	Type	Default	Description
public	bool	true	If true, file is publicly accessible. If false, file is encrypted and requires authentication

Storage paths:

• Public: storage/public/files/{model}/{field}/{id}
• Private: storage/private/files/{model}/{field}/{id} (encrypted)

Note

Private files are automatically encrypted using Laravel’s Crypt facade when stored and decrypted when retrieved.

Validation Rules

[
    'name' => 'Email',
    'field' => 'email',
    'type' => 'string',
    'rules' => [
        'required' => true,
        'unique' => true,
        'custom' => ['email_validation'], // References getCustomRules()
    ],
    'table' => true,
    'form' => true,
]

Automatic Casting

The initializeAutoCrud() method automatically applies casting based on field types:

• number with relation → integer
• number without relation → string
• boolean → boolean
• password → hashed (also added to $hidden)
• date → DateWithUserTimezone::class . ':d-m-Y'
• datetime → DateTimeWithUserTimezone::class . ':d-m-Y H:i'
• telephone → string

Best Practices

1. Always define required properties: name, field, and type are mandatory
2. Use descriptive names: Make field labels user-friendly
3. Set appropriate defaults: Use table and form properties to control visibility
4. Validate input: Always add appropriate validation rules
5. Consider relationships: Use proper field types for foreign keys

Example: Complete Product Model

protected static function getFields(): array
{
    return [
        [
            'name' => 'Name',
            'field' => 'name',
            'type' => 'string',
            'table' => true,
            'form' => true,
            'rules' => ['required' => true, 'unique' => true],
        ],
        [
            'name' => 'Description',
            'field' => 'description',
            'type' => 'text',
            'form' => true,
        ],
        [
            'name' => 'Price',
            'field' => 'price',
            'type' => 'decimal',
            'table' => true,
            'form' => true,
            'rules' => ['required' => true],
        ],
        [
            'name' => 'Active',
            'field' => 'is_active',
            'type' => 'boolean',
            'table' => true,
            'form' => true,
            'default' => true,
        ],
        [
            'name' => 'Category',
            'field' => 'category_id',
            'type' => 'combobox',
            'endPoint' => '/api/categories',
            'itemTitle' => 'name',
            'table' => true,
            'form' => true,
            'rules' => ['required' => true],
        ],
    ];
}