Laravel: Get Array of IDs with pluck() or modelKeys() | Mohamed Said [ ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01KT78WE565VEMM3PSNQAAB0MH.png) Mohamed Said Laravel Backend Engineer ](https://msaied.com) [ Home ](https://msaied.com) [ Projects ](https://msaied.com/projects) [ Articles ](https://msaied.com/articles) [ Certificates ](https://msaied.com/certificates) [ Contact ](https://msaied.com#contact-section) [ ](https://github.com/EG-Mohamed) [ Home ](https://msaied.com) [ Projects ](https://msaied.com/projects) [ Articles ](https://msaied.com/articles) [ Certificates ](https://msaied.com/certificates) [ Contact ](https://msaied.com#contact-section) [ home ](https://msaied.com) [ articles ](https://msaied.com/articles) Get Array of IDs from Eloquent Collection: pluck() or modelKeys() On this page 1. [ Using pluck() ](#using-codepluckcode) 2. [ Introducing modelKeys() ](#introducing-codemodelkeyscode) 3. [ When to Use Which? ](#when-to-use-which) 4. [ Key Takeaways: ](#key-takeaways) ![Get Array of IDs from Eloquent Collection: pluck() or modelKeys()](https://cdn.msaied.com/96/d7f17428bf750e57ce14033f6a5aa249.png) [ Laravel ](https://msaied.com/articles?category=laravel) [ Tips & Tricks ](https://msaied.com/articles?category=tips-tricks) #laravel #eloquent #php #collection #pluck #modelKeys Get Array of IDs from Eloquent Collection: pluck() or modelKeys() =================================================================== 24 Aug 2022 3 min read ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01KT78WE565VEMM3PSNQAAB0MJ.jpg) Mohamed Said Table of contents 1. [ 01 Using pluck() ](#using-codepluckcode) 2. [ 02 Introducing modelKeys() ](#introducing-codemodelkeyscode) 3. [ 03 When to Use Which? ](#when-to-use-which) 4. [ 04 Key Takeaways: ](#key-takeaways) When working with Laravel Eloquent, a common task is to retrieve a collection of records and then extract just their primary keys into an array. This is particularly useful when dealing with relationships, such as fetching all permission IDs associated with a specific role. Laravel provides elegant solutions for this, with two primary methods standing out: `pluck()` and `modelKeys()`. Using `pluck()` --------------- The `pluck()` method is a widely recognized and versatile tool within Laravel collections. It allows you to retrieve a list of values for a specified key from each item in the collection. For instance, if you have a `Role` model that `hasMany` `Permission` models, you can easily get an array of permission IDs like this: ```php // Assuming $role is an instance of your Role model $permissionIDs = $role->permissions->pluck('id'); ``` This code snippet iterates through the `permissions` collection associated with the `$role` and extracts the value of the `id` key from each permission model, returning them as a simple PHP array. The `pluck()` method is also available directly on the Eloquent Query Builder, allowing you to fetch only the IDs from the database without retrieving the entire model objects: ```php $allPermissionIDs = Permission::pluck('id'); ``` This approach is highly efficient as it only selects the `id` column from the database. Introducing `modelKeys()` ------------------------- Laravel also offers a more specialized method called `modelKeys()`. This method is specifically designed to retrieve an array of the primary keys from an Eloquent Collection. Its official description is concise: "Get the array of primary keys." Here's how you would use it in the same scenario: ```php // Assuming $role is an instance of your Role model $permissionIDs = $role->permissions->modelKeys(); ``` Interestingly, `modelKeys()` often results in the same character count as `pluck('id')`, making it a neat alternative. A key distinction is that `modelKeys()` is a method of the `Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection` class, not the Eloquent model itself. This means you cannot directly call `modelKeys()` on a Query Builder instance: ```php // This will result in an error: // "Call to undefined method App\Models\Permission::modelKeys()" $allPermissions = Permission::modelKeys(); ``` To use `modelKeys()` when you need all primary keys from a table, you must first retrieve all the models into a collection: ```php $allPermissions = Permission::all()->modelKeys(); ``` However, be mindful of potential performance implications if you are fetching all records from a very large table. In such cases, using `pluck('id')` directly on the Query Builder is generally more performant. When to Use Which? ------------------ - **`pluck()`**: Use this method when you need to extract values for a specific key (not necessarily the primary key) from a collection, or when you want to fetch only primary keys directly from the database query builder for efficiency. - **`modelKeys()`**: Use this method when you already have an Eloquent Collection and want to specifically retrieve an array of its primary keys. It's a clear and semantic way to express your intent. Both methods are valuable tools in a Laravel developer's arsenal, offering efficient ways to manipulate and extract data from Eloquent collections. ### Key Takeaways: - `pluck('id')` is versatile and can be used on Query Builders and Collections to extract values by key. - `modelKeys()` is specifically for Eloquent Collections and retrieves an array of primary keys. - For fetching all primary keys from a large table, `Permission::pluck('id')` is generally more performant than `Permission::all()->modelKeys()`. Source: [Get Array of IDs from Eloquent Collection: pluck() or modelKeys()](https://laraveldaily.com/post/eloquent-get-array-of-ids-from-collection-pluck-or-modelkeys) Found this useful? [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmsaied.com%2Farticles%2Fget-array-of-ids-from-eloquent-collection-pluck-or-modelkeys&text=Get+Array+of+IDs+from+Eloquent+Collection%3A+pluck%28%29+or+modelKeys%28%29) [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmsaied.com%2Farticles%2Fget-array-of-ids-from-eloquent-collection-pluck-or-modelkeys) Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- 3 questions Q01 What is the difference between `pluck()` and `modelKeys()` in Laravel? `pluck()` is a more general method that can extract values for any specified key from a collection or directly from a query builder. `modelKeys()` is specifically designed for Eloquent Collections and retrieves an array of their primary keys. Q02 Can I use `modelKeys()` directly on an Eloquent Query Builder? No, `modelKeys()` is a method of the `Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection` class. You cannot call it directly on a Query Builder. You must first fetch the results into a collection using methods like `all()` or by accessing a relationship. Q03 Which method is more performant for getting all IDs from a large table? For fetching all primary keys from a large table, using `YourModel::pluck('id')` directly on the Query Builder is generally more performant than retrieving all models with `YourModel::all()` and then calling `modelKeys()`. 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