# Conventions:

Defining Eloquent model (will assume that DB table named is set as plural of class name and primary key named "id"):

```class Shop extends Eloquent {}```

Using custom table name 

```protected $table = 'my_shops';```

Using custom primary key (instead of "id"): 

```protected $primaryKey = 'my_key';```

Disabling use of "created_at" and "updated_at" columns:

```public $timestamps = false;```

# Retrieving records:

Retrieving all records(rows) of a given model:

```$shops = Shop::all();```

Find and get a record by primary key:

```$shop = Shop::find(1);```

Retrieving single record that matches a certain column :
```$shop = Shop::where('name', 'Starbucks')->first();```

Retrieving specific columns of the result (by default get() returns all columns):
```$shop = Shop::where('name', 'Starbucks')->get('name','address','url');```

Retrieving singe column of single row :
```$name = Shop::where('name', 'Starbucks')->pluck('address');```

Retrieving records matching a criteria:

```$shops = Shop::where('orders_cache','>','100')->get();```
where() takes 3 parameters, name of the column, operator and value to be compared against. The operator can be one of the following: 
```'=', '<', '>', '<=', '>=', '<>', '!=', 'like', 'not like', 'between', 'ilike'```

Retrieve only a specified number of records matching a criteria:

```$shops = Shop::where('state', 'CA')->take(10)->get();```

Skip a specified number of records:

```$shops = Shops::where('name', 'Starbucks')->skip(10)->get();```

Combining "skip" and "take" (useful for making custom paginators):

```$shops = Shops::where('name', 'Starbucks')->skip(25)->take(25)->get();```

Using forPage() to accomplish the above statement: 

```$shops = Shops::where('name', 'Starbucks')->forPage(2,25)->get();```