ProductSpecification Model

Defines product specification templates and metadata for flexible product attributes.

Overview

The ProductSpecification model defines the structure and validation rules for product specifications. It serves as a template system that allows for flexible, dynamic product attributes beyond the standard fields.

Attributes

Attribute	Type	Description
id	int	Primary key
name	string	Specification name
key	string	Unique key identifier
description	text	Specification description
data_type	string	Data type (string, integer, boolean, etc.)
is_required	boolean	Required field flag
is_searchable	boolean	Searchable field flag
validation_rules	json	JSON validation rules
options	json	JSON available options
sort_order	int	Display order
is_active	boolean	Active status flag
created_at	timestamp	Creation timestamp
updated_at	timestamp	Last update timestamp

Relationships

Has Many

• hasMany(ProductSpecificationValue) - Specification values

Belongs To Many

• belongsToMany(Product) - Products with this specification

Key Features

Flexible Data Types

• Support for various data types (string, integer, boolean, etc.)
• Custom validation rules per specification
• Option-based specifications (dropdowns, checkboxes)

Search Integration

• Searchable specifications for product filtering
• Indexed specification values
• Fast specification-based queries

Validation System

• JSON-based validation rules
• Required field enforcement
• Custom validation logic

Organization

• Sort order for display organization
• Active/inactive status management
• Hierarchical specification grouping

Usage Examples

Creating a Product Specification

$specification = ProductSpecification::create([
    'name' => 'Dosage Strength',
    'key' => 'dosage_strength',
    'description' => 'Strength of the medication',
    'data_type' => 'string',
    'is_required' => true,
    'is_searchable' => true,
    'validation_rules' => [
        'required' => true,
        'in' => ['100mg', '200mg', '400mg', '600mg', '800mg']
    ],
    'options' => [
        '100mg' => '100mg',
        '200mg' => '200mg',
        '400mg' => '400mg',
        '600mg' => '600mg',
        '800mg' => '800mg'
    ],
    'sort_order' => 1,
    'is_active' => true
]);

Getting Associated Data

// Get specification values
$values = $specification->specificationValues;

// Get products with this specification
$products = $specification->products;

// Get active values
$activeValues = $specification->specificationValues()
    ->whereHas('product', function ($query) {
        $query->where('is_available', true);
    })->get();

Searching Specifications

// Get active specifications
$activeSpecs = ProductSpecification::active()->get();

// Get searchable specifications
$searchableSpecs = ProductSpecification::searchable()->get();

// Get specifications by data type
$stringSpecs = ProductSpecification::where('data_type', 'string')->get();

Scopes

Active Specifications

// Get only active specifications
ProductSpecification::active()->get();

Searchable Specifications

// Get only searchable specifications
ProductSpecification::searchable()->get();

Required Specifications

// Get only required specifications
ProductSpecification::where('is_required', true)->get();

Validation Rules

Specifications can have custom validation rules stored as JSON:

// Example validation rules
$validationRules = [
    'required' => true,
    'min' => 1,
    'max' => 100,
    'in' => ['option1', 'option2', 'option3'],
    'regex' => '/^[A-Za-z0-9\s]+$/'
];

$specification->validation_rules = $validationRules;
$specification->save();

Options Management

For specifications with predefined options (like dropdowns):

// Set available options
$options = [
    'small' => 'Small Size',
    'medium' => 'Medium Size',
    'large' => 'Large Size'
];

$specification->options = $options;
$specification->save();

// Get options
$availableOptions = $specification->options;

Sort Order

Specifications can be ordered for display:

// Get specifications in order
$orderedSpecs = ProductSpecification::active()
    ->orderBy('sort_order')
    ->orderBy('name')
    ->get();

Related Models

• Product - Products with specifications
• ProductSpecificationValue - Actual specification values