Laravel having column name in where clause static method

Question

Recently I just realized that Laravel generates a static method with column name when joined in a where clause using camel case

example

$user = User::whereName('john')->first(); // added `name` as a column name

When called this code to SQL it generates

$user = User::whereName('john')->toSql();

//it returns
select * from `users` where `name` = ?

This indeed gives expected result as it returns a user with name john.

I have searched Laravel documentation but can't find this function or where it was defined.

All I need is clarification if this method is good or best so that I can continue using it and as well know how the method is generated inside Laravel framework or any other means

Answer 1

If you're asking where is the code responsible for it to work, it's using the magic method __call() (__callStatic() before that to make an instance) in the class Illuminate\Database\Query\Builder

/**
     * Handle dynamic method calls into the method.
     *
     * @param  string  $method
     * @param  array   $parameters
     * @return mixed
     *
     * @throws \BadMethodCallException
     */
    public function __call($method, $parameters)
    {
        if (static::hasMacro($method)) {
            return $this->macroCall($method, $parameters);
        }

        if (Str::startsWith($method, 'where')) {
            return $this->dynamicWhere($method, $parameters);
        }

        static::throwBadMethodCallException($method);
    }

precisely in the condition Str::startsWith($method, 'where') which redirect the call to dynamicWhere()

/**
     * Handles dynamic "where" clauses to the query.
     *
     * @param  string  $method
     * @param  array  $parameters
     * @return $this
     */
    public function dynamicWhere($method, $parameters)
    {
        $finder = substr($method, 5);

        $segments = preg_split(
            '/(And|Or)(?=[A-Z])/', $finder, -1, PREG_SPLIT_DELIM_CAPTURE
        );

        // The connector variable will determine which connector will be used for the
        // query condition. We will change it as we come across new boolean values
        // in the dynamic method strings, which could contain a number of these.
        $connector = 'and';

        $index = 0;

        foreach ($segments as $segment) {
            // If the segment is not a boolean connector, we can assume it is a column's name
            // and we will add it to the query as a new constraint as a where clause, then
            // we can keep iterating through the dynamic method string's segments again.
            if ($segment !== 'And' && $segment !== 'Or') {
                $this->addDynamic($segment, $connector, $parameters, $index);

                $index++;
            }

            // Otherwise, we will store the connector so we know how the next where clause we
            // find in the query should be connected to the previous ones, meaning we will
            // have the proper boolean connector to connect the next where clause found.
            else {
                $connector = $segment;
            }
        }

        return $this;
    }