\Aksara\Laboratory\Core->setPrimary()

The documentation and cheat sheet of our framework

setPrimary() declares primary key fields for CRUD actions.

Purpose

setPrimary() declares primary key fields for CRUD actions. It lets a controller customize Aksara Core behavior while keeping the request inside the built-in CRUD, rendering, permission, validation, and response pipeline.

When to Use

Use it when the generated table, form, or read view is mostly correct but one or more fields need custom behavior.

Reference

setPrimary(array|string $field = [])

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`$field`	`array\|string`	No	`[]`	Field name, field list, or associative field configuration.

Return Value

static

Returns the current controller instance so it can be chained with other Core methods.

Behavior

setPrimary() updates field metadata used by the renderer. The generated output changes when the table, read, or form view is rendered.

Basic Usage

$this->setPrimary('order_id');

return $this->render('orders');

Advanced Usage

$this->setAlias(['created_at' => phrase('Created'), 'updated_at' => phrase('Updated')])
    ->setValidation(['title' => 'required|max_length[160]', 'status' => 'required'])
    ->fieldOrder('title, slug, status, created_at');

Complete Example

namespace Modules\Orders\Controllers;

use Aksara\Laboratory\Core;

class Orders extends Core
{
    public function index()
    {
        $this->setTitle(phrase('Orders'))
            ->setPrimary('order_id');

        return $this->render('orders');
    }
}

Result

The generated table, form, or read view uses the configured field behavior when the response is prepared.

Notes

This method is chainable and returns the current controller instance.
Field names must match table columns, selected aliases, relation aliases, or mock fields.
Most field configuration methods accept a single field/value pair or an associative array for bulk configuration.