Rating system implementation in Laravel

Question

I'm already working in a web application in Laravel that needs a rating system between users. So, I've been reading the Laravel documentation and some posts here and there but I keep wondering which is the best way to accomplish what I want to do. I can't decide between the next two options.

My current tables are:

users (id) | rates (id,sender,comment,rate) | user_rate (id,user_id,rate_id)

My current User model:

public function rates_sent(){ 
  return $this->hasMany(Rate::class,"sender");
}

public function rates(){
  return $this->belongsToMany(Rate::class);
}

My current Rate model:

public function sender(){
  return $this->belongsTo(User::class,"sender");
}
public function receiver(){
  return $this->belongsToMany(User::class);
}

The second option is:

users (id) | rates (id,sender,receiver,comment,rate)

User model:

public function rates_sent(){
  return $this->hasMany(Rate::class,"sender");
}
public function rates_received(){
  return $this->hasMany(Rate::class,"receiver");
}

Rate model:

public function sender(){
  return $this->belongsTo(User::class,"sender");
}
public function receiver(){
  return $this->belongsTo(UseR::class,"receiver");
}

So, are both good solutions? Is one option more acceptable than the other? Is there another and better option to do this?

Apologies for my bad engrish. Thanks in advance

Answer 1

If you think this way: "User has many rates, but rate belongs to one user" then you should follow second option.

This is how my models and tables would look like:

• users - id

• rates - id, sender_id, receiver_id, comment, rate

User.php

public function sentRates() {
    return $this->hasMany(Rate::class, 'sender_id');
}

public function receivedRates() {
    return $this->hasMany(Rate::class, 'receiver_id');
}

Rate.php

public function sender() {
    return $this->belongsTo(User::class, 'sender_id');
}

public function receiver() {
    return $this->belongsTo(User::class, 'receiver_id');
}

I think this option is more appropriate then first one.