Labrodev Query

Read side: Core Queries and Layer IndexQueries

Part of the Labrodev playbook. The law for this component lives in the always-on labrodev-query guideline (musts, must-nots); the per-file checklist is rules/queries.md. This skill holds the craft: anatomy, canonical templates, and edge cases.

Two read-side class families exist, with different homes and jobs:

Template: Core Query class

Naming pattern: {Model}Query in Core\Domain\{Domain}\Queries. Worked example — Booking domain:

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Core\Domain\Booking\Queries;

use Core\Domain\Booking\Models\Booking;
use Core\Domain\Customer\Models\Customer;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Builder;
use Illuminate\Support\Carbon;

final class BookingQuery
{
    /**
     * @return Builder<Booking>
     */
    public function all(): Builder
    {
        return Booking::query();
    }

    /**
     * @return Builder<Booking>
     */
    public function byId(int $id): Builder
    {
        return Booking::query()->where('id', '=', $id);
    }

    /**
     * @return Builder<Booking>
     */
    public function byUuid(string $uuid): Builder
    {
        return Booking::query()->where('uuid', '=', $uuid);
    }

    /**
     * @param  array<int, string>  $uuids
     * @return Builder<Booking>
     */
    public function byUuids(array $uuids): Builder
    {
        return Booking::query()->whereIn('uuid', $uuids);
    }

    // Business-driven methods — add only when a use case needs them.

    /**
     * @return Builder<Booking>
     */
    public function upcomingForCustomer(Customer $customer): Builder
    {
        return Booking::query()
            ->where('customer_id', '=', $customer->id)
            ->where('starts_at', '>=', Carbon::now());
    }

    // Terminal-read exception: name states the scalar outcome,
    // body is a thin terminal on the builder.
    public function existsForCustomerOnDate(Customer $customer, Carbon $date): bool
    {
        return Booking::query()
            ->where('customer_id', '=', $customer->id)
            ->whereDate('starts_at', '=', $date)
            ->exists();
    }
}

Template: Layer IndexQuery

Naming pattern: {Model}IndexQuery in App\Layer\{Layer}\{Domain}\IndexQueries. Worked example — Dashboard layer, Booking domain (table bookings):

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Layer\Dashboard\Booking\IndexQueries;

use Core\Domain\Booking\Models\Booking;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Spatie\QueryBuilder\AllowedFilter;
use Spatie\QueryBuilder\AllowedSort;
use Spatie\QueryBuilder\QueryBuilder;

// Optional (when labrodev/filters is installed):
// use Labrodev\Filters\QueryBuilder\DateRangeFilter;
// use Labrodev\Filters\QueryBuilder\IsNotNullFilter;
// use Labrodev\Filters\QueryBuilder\WhereInFilter;

/**
 * @extends QueryBuilder<Booking>
 */
final class BookingIndexQuery extends QueryBuilder
{
    public function __construct(Request $request)
    {
        $query = Booking::query()
            ->with([
                'customer',
            ])
            // Optional joins for searching/sorting by related fields:
            // ->leftJoin('customers', 'customers.id', '=', 'bookings.customer_id')
            // ->select(['bookings.*', 'customers.name as customer_name'])
        ;

        parent::__construct($query, $request);

        // Default sort is internal — prefer explicit table/alias once joins exist.
        $this->defaultSort('-bookings.id');

        $this->allowedFilters([
            // Public record identity is always uuid, never internal id:
            AllowedFilter::exact('uuid', 'bookings.uuid'),

            // Partials (like):
            AllowedFilter::partial('reference', 'bookings.reference'),

            // Related records are filtered by their uuid as well:
            AllowedFilter::callback('customer', static function ($query, $value): void {
                $query->whereHas('customer', static function ($query) use ($value): void {
                    $query->where('customers.uuid', '=', $value);
                });
            }),

            // Date range (labrodev/filters, when installed):
            // AllowedFilter::custom('created_at', new DateRangeFilter, 'bookings.created_at'),
        ]);

        $this->allowedSorts([
            AllowedSort::field('created_at', 'bookings.created_at'),
            AllowedSort::field('updated_at', 'bookings.updated_at'),
            AllowedSort::field('starts_at', 'bookings.starts_at'),
            // Sort by joined alias:
            // AllowedSort::field('customer', 'customer_name'),
        ]);
    }
}

The controller injects the IndexQuery and resolves it ($bookingIndexQuery->paginate(...)->withQueryString()) → see the labrodev-controller skill for the controller anatomy and the labrodev-viewmodel-resource skill for shaping the result.

IndexQuery vs plain Query — which one?

• IndexQuery: an index/listing page (or export) where the client drives filters, sorts, or pagination via request parameters. One per model per Layer that lists it.
• Core Query: every other read — fetching a record for a mutation, existence/count checks inside Actions and Rules, fixed lists (dropdown options, related records for a show page), any read whose shape is decided by business logic rather than by request parameters.
• An index page with no user-driven filtering/sorting can still use the Core Query; introduce the IndexQuery when the first filter or sort parameter appears.
• Exports may reuse the same IndexQuery as the index page — never fork a second listing query for the same table.

Edge cases

• Terminal reads: a Query method may return bool/int only when the name states the outcome (existsForCustomerOnDate(): bool, countForDate(): int) and the body is a thin terminal (exists(), count(), value()). Never from methods that read like composable scopes.
• Cross-model reads: a method belongs to the Query of the model it returns. BookingQuery::upcomingForCustomer() is correct; do not put booking reads on a CustomerQuery.
• Eager loading: ->with(...) inside Query/IndexQuery methods is fine and encouraged to prevent N+1; relation definitions and their PHPStan generics docblocks → see the labrodev-model skill.
• Enum filtering: filter/where on the enum's backed value; the enum contract itself → see the labrodev-enum skill.
• Route-bound models: a controller receiving a model via {booking:uuid} binding does not need a Query call for that record — Queries cover reads beyond the bound instance. Binding rules → see the labrodev-controller skill.
• Authorization: never inside Query classes → see the labrodev-authorization skill.
• Testing Queries/IndexQueries → see the labrodev-testing skill.