Questions about "fresh", db relationships, non-db models, caching, and .env

[quadrastreet]

I'm brand new to Leaf, so I have a few questions (I'll be using leaf-api):

1. fresh() -- Given your example in the docs:

$flight = Flight::where('number', 'FR 900')->first();
$freshFlight = $flight->fresh();

If I didn't use fresh(), and simply re-ran the first line, would it not re-retrieve from the database?

2. Relationships -- Is there support for the idea of parent / child records using models? If so, how do I set it up?

3. Non-DB models -- In my API I'll need to be reading/writing using a database, as well as reading data from a 3rd-party REST API; I know I can put code in my controller to access data via 3rd-party REST API, but I was wondering if you had a strategy to use Leaf models where the data comes from that API rather than a database.

4. Caching -- Is there support for caching data rather than re-reading from the database with each request? If not, do you have any strategies that might be helpful to me?

5. .env -- I've read through https://leafphp.netlify.app/#/leaf-api/v/2.0/config/env but still have some questions:
   -- APP_ENV -- How is this used?
   -- APP_KEY -- How is this used?
   -- APP_URL -- How is this used?

[quadrastreet]

Note: I found the answer to my 2nd question (model relationships) by reading the Eloquent Model documentation... once I saw the note that Leaf Model extends Eloquent Model.

[mychidarko]

What was I thinking? 😂

Leaf actually does have some http caching out of the box https://leafphp.netlify.app/#/leaf/v/2.5.0/http/headers?id=http-caching-new

[quadrastreet]

Can you explain how to implement this is in my route?

Where I normally have something like this:

$app->get("/info", "InformationController@info");

I'm not sure how I use

$app->get("/info", function () use ($app) {
  Headers::etag("unique-tag");
  ...
});

[mychidarko]

In the info method in your controller, you can call Leaf\Http\Headers::etag, it's pretty much the same

[quadrastreet]

OK -- that seems to work.

[mychidarko]

Awesome