php-laravelHow do I use the firstOrCreate method in Laravel with PHP?

The firstOrCreate method in Laravel with PHP is used to retrieve the first record matching the given criteria, or create a new record if no matching record is found. It is a combination of the first and create methods.

Example code

$user = App\User::firstOrCreate(
    ['email' => '[email protected]'],
    ['name' => 'John Doe']
);

In the above example, if a user with the email address [email protected] already exists in the database, it will be returned. Otherwise, a new user record will be created with the given email address and name.

Code explanation

1. App\User: This is the model class that contains the user records.
2. firstOrCreate: This is the method used to retrieve or create a record.
3. ['email' => '[email protected]']: This is an array of key-value pairs used to specify the criteria for retrieving an existing record.
4. ['name' => 'John Doe']: This is an array of key-value pairs used to specify the values of the new record if one is to be created.

Helpful links

• Laravel Eloquent: Retrieving Models
• Laravel Eloquent: Creating & Updating Models

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