Add property and value in a object array
Stefan Bogdanescu
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
# Mastering Object Properties in Laravel: Adding Optional Data to Eloquent Models
Welcome to the world of PHP Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and Laravel! As you dive into building applications, managing data within your models—especially handling optional fields—is a crucial skill. It’s completely normal to feel unsure about how to dynamically add properties to an object after creation.
The scenario you presented—creating a record and then conditionally adding optional fields like `mobilephone`—is very common. Let's break down exactly how you should approach this, moving from the manual method to more idiomatic Laravel practices.
## Understanding Object Properties vs. Array Data
Before diving into the code, it’s important to understand the distinction between creating data in an array and setting properties on an object.
When you use methods like `User::create([...])`, Laravel is handling the mapping of your input array keys (like `'email'`) directly to the columns in your database table. This is efficient for initial record creation.
However, once the model instance (`$user`) exists, adding or updating properties follows standard PHP object syntax: `$object->propertyName = $value;`. Your instinct to use this method is correct for post-creation updates.
## The Correct Way to Handle Optional Fields
Your approach using `isset()` to conditionally assign a property is fundamentally sound and works perfectly fine. It provides explicit control over which data gets attached to the model instance.
Here is your approach, slightly refined for clarity:
```php
// 1. Create the initial record
$user = User::create([
'email' => $userDat['email'],
'name' => $userDat['name'],
'surname' => $userDat['surname'],
]);
// 2. Conditionally add optional fields to the existing object
if (isset($userDat['mobilephone'])) {
$user->mobilephone = $userDat['mobilephone'];
}
// 3. Save the changes back to the database
$user->save();
```
**Why this works:** You are treating `$user` as a standard PHP object. When you use the arrow operator (`->`) or the object operator (`->`), you are directly manipulating that instance in memory, which is exactly what you need to do when selectively adding data not present in the initial creation payload.
## Best Practices: Alternative Approaches for Cleaner Code
While the conditional assignment works, developers often look for ways to make data handling cleaner and more scalable, especially within a framework like Laravel. Here are two powerful alternatives you should know.
### 1. Using Mass Assignment (The Laravel Way)
For simple, predefined optional fields, Laravel offers **Mass Assignment**. This allows you to pass an array of data directly to `create()` or `update()`, provided you have correctly configured your model.
In your `User` model, you must define which fields are mass-assignable within the `$fillable` property:
```php
// In app/Models/User.php
protected $fillable = [
'email',
'name',
'surname',
'mobilephone', // Make sure this is included!
];
```
With `$fillable` set, you can now create the user and include all optional fields in a single call:
```php
$userDat = [
'email' => 'test@example.com',
'name' => 'John',
'surname' => 'Doe',
'mobilephone' => '555-1234' // Including the optional field here!
];
// Single, clean creation call
$user = User::create($userDat);
```
This method is significantly cleaner because it delegates the property mapping to Eloquent, reducing the need for manual `if/isset` checks on every single optional field. This aligns perfectly with the philosophy of building robust applications using Laravel and its powerful features from [laravelcompany.com](https://laravelcompany.com).
### 2. Handling Complex Input (Form Requests)
For more complex scenarios, such as validating or sanitizing input before saving, it is best practice to use **Form Requests**. This keeps your controller logic clean and separates the concerns of data validation from business logic. This approach ensures that only valid, necessary properties are ever added to your database records.
## Conclusion
To summarize, yes, your initial method of checking `isset()` and assigning properties (`$user->mobilephone = ...`) is a perfectly valid way to handle optional data in PHP OOP. However, for Laravel development, we strongly recommend leveraging **Mass Assignment** via the `$fillable` property whenever possible. It results in more readable, safer, and highly maintainable code. As you continue your journey with Laravel, focus on integrating these framework features to build elegant solutions!