Mongoloquent: Serialization

Introduction

When building APIs, you will often need to convert your models and relationships to arrays or JSON. Mongoloquent includes convenient methods for making these conversions, as well as controlling which attributes are included in the serialized representation of your models.

Hiding Attributes

Sometimes you may wish to limit the attributes, such as passwords, that are included in your model's array or JSON representation. To do so, add a $hidden property to your model. Attributes that are listed in the $hidden property's array will not be included in the serialized representation of your model:

Typescript

import { Model, IMongoloquentSchema, IMongoloquentTimestamps } from "mongoloquent";

interface IUser extends IMongoloquentSchema, IMongoloquentTimestamps {
  first_name: string;
  last_name: string;
  password: string;
}

class User extends Model<IUser> {
  /**
   * The attributes that should be hidden.
   *
   * @var array<string>
   */
  protected $hidden = ['password'];

  // ...
}

Javascript

import { Model } from "mongoloquent";

class User extends Model {
 /**
  * The attributes that should be hidden.
  *
  * @var array<string>
  */
  $hidden = ['password'];

 // ...
}

Alternatively, you may use the visible property to define an "allow list" of attributes that should be included in your model's object.

Typescript

import { Model, IMongoloquentSchema, IMongoloquentTimestamps } from "mongoloquent";

interface IUser extends IMongoloquentSchema, IMongoloquentTimestamps {
  first_name: string;
  last_name: string;
  password: string;
}

class User extends Model<IUser> {
  /**
   * The attributes that should be visible.
   *
   * @var array<string>
   */
  protected $visible = ['first_name', 'last_name'];

  // ...
}

Javascript

import { Model } from "mongoloquent";

class User extends Model {
 /**
  * The attributes that should be visible.
  *
  * @var array<string>
  */
  $visible = ['first_name', 'last_name'];

 // ...
}

Temporarily Modifying Attribute Visibility

If you would like to make some typically hidden attributes visible on a given model instance, you may use the makeVisible method. The makeVisible method returns the model instance:

Typescript

await User.makeVisible('attribute').get();

await User.makeVisible(['name', 'email']).get();

Javascript

await User.makeVisible('attribute').get();

await User.makeVisible(['name', 'email']).get();

Likewise, if you would like to hide some attributes that are typically visible, you may use the makeHidden method:

Typescript

await User.makeHidden('attribute').get();

await User.makeHidden(['name', 'email']).get();

Javascript

await User.makeHidden('attribute').get();

await User.makeHidden(['name', 'email']).get();

If you wish to temporarily override all of the visible or hidden attributes, you may use the setVisible and setHidden methods respectively:

Typescript

await User.setVisible(['id', 'name']).get();

await User.setHidden(['email', 'password', 'remember_token']).get();

Javascript

await User.setVisible(['id', 'name']).get();

await User.setHidden(['email', 'password', 'remember_token']).get();