Select the last row in the table

Question

I want to retrieve the last file inserted into my table. I know the method first() exists and gives you the first file in the table, but I don't know how to get the last insert.

Answer 1

Use the latest scopes provided by Laravel out of the box.

Model::latest()->first();

This way you won't retrieve all records. Better shortcut for orderBy.

Answer 2

You need to sort by the same fields as you are sorting now, but in descending order. For example, if you have a timestamp called upload_time when the upload is complete, you can do the following;

For versions prior to Laravel 4

return DB::table('files')->order_by('upload_time', 'desc')->first();

For Laravel 4 and above

return DB::table('files')->orderBy('upload_time', 'desc')->first();

For Laravel 5.7 and above

return DB::table('files')->latest('upload_time')->first();

This will sort the rows in the file table by upload time, descending , and take the first one. This will be the most recently uploaded file.