Sub collection

A sub-collection is a nested collection within a Firestore document. This allows for better data organization and structuring.

Defining a sub collection

In your model the model class, define a method that starts with sub, followed by the sub-collection name.

class User extends FModel
{
    public function subProfile()
    {
        return SubCollection::primaryKey("id")->subCollection('profiles')->load();
    }
}

In this example:

• subProfile() defines a sub-collection called profiles.
• primaryKey("id") specifies that the primary key for this sub-collection is id.
• load() fetches the sub-collection data.

info

Note: Make sure you start the method name with sub followed by the name of the sub collection.

Understanding the SubCollection Class Explained

The SubCollection class provides methods to configure and retrieve sub-collections.

Main Methods:

• subCollection($name) → Sets the sub-collection name. [required]
• primaryKey($key) → Defines the primary key of the sub-collection. [required]
• fillableFields($fields) → Specifies which fields can be inserted or updated.
• requiredFields($fields) → Lists fields that must be provided when inserting data.
• defaultFields($fields) → Assigns default values to fields if they are not provided.
• fieldTypes($fields) → Defines data types (integer, string, array, object).
• hiddenFields($fields) → Specifies fields to exclude from responses.
• keyToUse($key) → By default, the primary key of the parent model (User) is used to access sub-collections. If you want to use a different field, you can set it using this method.
• load() → Fetches the sub-collection data.

Example Usage of SubCollection:

SubCollection::primaryKey("id")
    ->subCollection('user_logs')
    ->keyToUse("user_ID")
    ->fillableFields(['log_id', 'action', 'timestamp'])
    ->load();

This means:

• A sub-collection named user_logs is being defined.
• The primary key is id.
• Instead of using the default primary key from ZoneData, it will use user_ID to access sub-collections.
• Only log_id, action, and timestamp can be inserted or updated.

Usage of the sub collection

class User extends FModel
{
    public function subProfile()
    {
        return SubCollection::primaryKey("id")->subCollection('profiles')->load();
    }
}


$user = User::find($userId); 
//Or 
$user = User::where(['id', $userId])->first();

//Getting the first item
$profile = $user->subProfile()->first();

//Filtering the data
$profile = $user->subProfile()->where(['id', '123'])->first();

//Getting all items
$profiles = $user->subProfile()->all();

//Getting the count of items
$count = $user->subProfile()->count();

Summary

• A sub-collection is a collection inside a document.
• To define one, create a method in your model starting with sub.
• Use the SubCollection class to configure and retrieve sub-collections.
• Define fields, primary keys, required values, and more using provided methods.
• Use keyToUse($key) if you want to reference sub-collections using a different field instead of the default primary key.

This approach ensures better Firestore organization and easy data retrieval. 🚀