Laravel 5 On The Fly Database Connections

how-to-use.md

This is a Laravel 5 class that I have at the location app/Database/OTF.php and use to connect to different databases on the fly.

// Using the same host/password/etc, just changing databases
$otf = new App\Database\OTF(['database' => 'kittens']);
// Get the users table
$users = $otf->getTable('users');
// Find the first user in the table
$first_user = $users->first();

Blog post here.

OTF.php

<?php namespace App\Database;

use Config;
use DB;

class OTF {

	/**
	 * The name of the database we're connecting to on the fly.
	 *
	 * @var string $database
	 */
	protected $database;

	/**
	 * The on the fly database connection.
	 *
	 * @var \Illuminate\Database\Connection
	 */
	protected $connection;

	/**
	 * Create a new on the fly database connection.
	 *
	 * @param  array $options
	 * @return void
	 */
	public function __construct($options = null)
	{
		// Set the database
		$database = $options['database'];
		$this->database = $database;

		// Figure out the driver and get the default configuration for the driver
		$driver  = isset($options['driver']) ? $options['driver'] : Config::get("database.default");
		$default = Config::get("database.connections.$driver");

		// Loop through our default array and update options if we have non-defaults
		foreach($default as $item => $value)
		{
			$default[$item] = isset($options[$item]) ? $options[$item] : $default[$item];
		}

		// Set the temporary configuration
		Config::set("database.connections.$database", $default);

		// Create the connection
		$this->connection = DB::connection($database);
	}

	/**
	 * Get the on the fly connection.
	 *
	 * @return \Illuminate\Database\Connection
	 */
	public function getConnection()
	{
		return $this->connection;
	}

	/**
	 * Get a table from the on the fly connection.
	 *
	 * @var    string $table
	 * @return \Illuminate\Database\Query\Builder
	 */
	public function getTable($table = null)
	{
		return $this->getConnection()->table($table);
	}
}

Hi @lukevers

I had a need for something similar but then for the Lumen framework. You can find that code here:

https://gist.github.com/digitalkreativ/3eb197e39a5541f7c907b6cbdbfccb2d

I have of course linked to your blog and this gist in my gist :)

awesome! Thank you very much

For anyone needing to disconnect you can add another method and pass the db name back into the method.

	public function closeConnection($database)
	{
		$this->connection = DB::connection($database)->disconnect();
	}