Enhancing Many-to-Many Relationships with Custom Pivot Models

// app/Models/RoleUser.php (Custom Pivot Model)
namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\Pivot;

class RoleUser extends Pivot
{
    protected $table = 'role_user'; // Specify the pivot table name
    protected $fillable = ['user_id', 'role_id', 'active', 'assigned_by']; // Allow mass assignment for custom fields

    // You can define methods on the pivot model
    public function user()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class);
    }

    public function role()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(Role::class);
    }

    public function markAsActive()
    {
        $this->active = true;
        $this->save();
    }
}

// app/Models/User.php
namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Auth\User as Authenticatable;
use Illuminate\Notifications\Notifiable;
use Laravel\Sanctum\HasApiTokens;

class User extends Authenticatable
{
    use HasApiTokens, HasFactory, Notifiable;

    protected $fillable = [
        'name', 'email', 'password',
    ];

    public function roles()
    {
        return $this->belongsToMany(Role::class)
                    ->using(RoleUser::class) // Specify the custom pivot model
                    ->withPivot('active', 'assigned_by') // List additional pivot attributes to be retrieved
                    ->withTimestamps(); // If pivot table has created_at/updated_at
    }
}

// app/Models/Role.php
namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;

class Role extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = ['name'];

    public function users()
    {
        return $this->belongsToMany(User::class)
                    ->using(RoleUser::class)
                    ->withPivot('active', 'assigned_by')
                    ->withTimestamps();
    }
}

// Usage example (e.g., in a controller)
$user = User::find(1);
$role = Role::find(2);

// Attach role with custom pivot data
$user->roles()->attach($role->id, ['active' => true, 'assigned_by' => 'Admin']);

// Retrieve and update custom pivot data
$userRole = $user->roles->firstWhere('id', $role->id); // Get the attached pivot instance
if ($userRole) {
    echo "Role '{$userRole->name}' is active: {$userRole->pivot->active}
";
    $userRole->pivot->update(['active' => false]); // Update pivot attributes directly
}

// Using the custom pivot model directly
$pivotRecord = RoleUser::where('user_id', $user->id)->where('role_id', $role->id)->first();
if ($pivotRecord) {
    $pivotRecord->markAsActive();
    echo "Pivot record for User {$pivotRecord->user->name} and Role {$pivotRecord->role->name} marked as active.
";
}