# Models

<!-- toc -->

## Model Defination

```go
type User struct {
    gorm.Model
    Birthday     time.Time
    Age          int
    Name         string  `gorm:"size:255"` // Default size for string is 255, reset it with this tag
    Num          int     `gorm:"AUTO_INCREMENT"`

    CreditCard        CreditCard      // One-To-One relationship (has one - use CreditCard's UserID as foreign key)
    Emails            []Email         // One-To-Many relationship (has many - use Email's UserID as foreign key)

    BillingAddress    Address         // One-To-One relationship (belongs to - use BillingAddressID as foreign key)
    BillingAddressID  sql.NullInt64

    ShippingAddress   Address         // One-To-One relationship (belongs to - use ShippingAddressID as foreign key)
    ShippingAddressID int

    IgnoreMe          int `gorm:"-"`   // Ignore this field
    Languages         []Language `gorm:"many2many:user_languages;"` // Many-To-Many relationship, 'user_languages' is join table
}

type Email struct {
    ID      int
    UserID  int     `gorm:"index"` // Foreign key (belongs to), tag `index` will create index for this column
    Email   string  `gorm:"type:varchar(100);unique_index"` // `type` set sql type, `unique_index` will create unique index for this column
    Subscribed bool
}

type Address struct {
    ID       int
    Address1 string         `gorm:"not null;unique"` // Set field as not nullable and unique
    Address2 string         `gorm:"type:varchar(100);unique"`
    Post     sql.NullString `gorm:"not null"`
}

type Language struct {
    ID   int
    Name string `gorm:"index:idx_name_code"` // Create index with name, and will create combined index if find other fields defined same name
    Code string `gorm:"index:idx_name_code"` // `unique_index` also works
}

type CreditCard struct {
    gorm.Model
    UserID  uint
    Number  string
}
```

## Conventions

### `gorm.Model` struct

Base model definition `gorm.Model`, including fields `ID`, `CreatedAt`, `UpdatedAt`, `DeletedAt`, you could embed it in your model, or only write those fields you want

```go
// Base Model's definition
type Model struct {
  ID        uint `gorm:"primary_key"`
  CreatedAt time.Time
  UpdatedAt time.Time
  DeletedAt *time.Time
}

// Add fields `ID`, `CreatedAt`, `UpdatedAt`, `DeletedAt`
type User struct {
  gorm.Model
  Name string
}

// Only need field `ID`, `CreatedAt`
type User struct {
  ID        uint
  CreatedAt time.Time
  Name      string
}
```

### Table name is the pluralized version of struct name

```go
type User struct {} // default table name is `users`

// set User's table name to be `profiles
type (User) TableName() string {
  return "profiles"
}

func (u User) TableName() string {
	if u.Role == "admin" {
		return "admin_users"
	} else {
		return "users"
	}
}

// Disable table name's pluralization globally
db.SingularTable(true) // if set this to true, `User`'s default table name will be `user`, table name setted with `TableName` won't be affected
```

### Column name is the snake case of field's name

```go
type User struct {
  ID uint             // column name will be `id`
  Name string         // column name will be `name`
  Birthday time.Time  // column name will be `birthday`
  CreatedAt time.Time // column name will be `created_at`
}

// Overriding Column Name
type Animal struct {
	AnimalId    int64     `gorm:"column:beast_id"`         // set column name to `beast_id`
	Birthday    time.Time `gorm:"column:day_of_the_beast"` // set column name to `day_of_the_beast`
	Age         int64     `gorm:"column:age_of_the_beast"` // set column name to `age_of_the_beast`
}
```

### Field `ID` as primary key

```go
type User struct {
  ID   uint  // field named `ID` will be the default primary field
  Name string
}

// Set a field to be primary field with tag `primary_key`
type Animal struct {
  AnimalId int64 `gorm:"primary_key"` // set AnimalId to be primary key
  Name     string
  Age      int64
}
```

### Field `CreatedAt` used to store record's created time

Create records having `CreatedAt` field will set it to current time.

```go
db.Create(&user) // will set `CreatedAt` to current time

// To change its value, you could use `Update`
db.Model(&user).Update("CreatedAt", time.Now())
```

### Use `UpdatedAt` used to store record's updated time

Save records having `UpdatedAt` field will set it to current time.

```go
db.Save(&user) // will set `UpdatedAt` to current time
db.Model(&user).Update("name", "jinzhu") // will set `UpdatedAt` to current time
```

### Use `DeletedAt` to store record's deleted time if field exists

Delete records having `DeletedAt` field, it won't be deleted from database, but only set field `DeletedAt`'s value to current time, and the record is not findable when querying, refer [Soft Delete](curd.html#soft-delete)