CrudAdmin reads Eloquent models that carry additional parameters. Once extended this way, we call them Admin models. From them CrudAdmin generates the whole administration interface, forms with automatic validation, and the complete database including relations. Adding a new section to the administration takes three steps:
1

Create an admin model

2

Migrate the database

3

Done

A fully working administration section is live.

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The administration interface

CrudAdmin builds the whole administration environment from your admin models, including the navigation menu, and links everything together.
Administration sidebar generated from admin models
Icons are picked automatically from the English model names. See ModelIcons.php for the mapping.

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Form generation and validation

Forms and their validation are assembled from the configuration in the admin model.
Form generated from an admin model definition

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Database design

The database and its relations are designed from the fields defined in the admin model. When a model carries parameters that describe a relationship with other models, CrudAdmin creates the relations in the database and connects the generated forms in the interface. Every relation type is supported. The example below shows a one to many relation.

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1. Linking admin models through a relation

This example links two admin models with the belongsToModel property. Once linked, opening the parent record shows a nested section for the related model.
Two admin models linked with belongsToModel

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2. Migrating the database

Any change in the admin model that is represented by a database column has to be migrated with an artisan command.
Output of the php artisan admin:migrate command

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3. Generated tables and relations

From the fields in the admin model, CrudAdmin created the database tables, set the column types and built the relations between them.
Database diagram of the generated tables and their relation
When you add new fields to an existing table, CrudAdmin adds the columns automatically — you do not write migrations.
When you remove a field that still exists as a database column, CrudAdmin asks you to confirm dropping the column during the migration.
Depending on the admin model configuration, CrudAdmin adds extra columns such as the record position, publication date, deletion date, creation date and update date (_order, published_at, deleted_at, updated_at). These can be turned off with the model parameters.

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4. The generated interface with a nested relation

Opening the parent record reveals a nested form for managing the related content. Models can be nested to any depth.
Nested relation section inside a parent record