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EmojiAlias Model

The EmojiAlias model represents additional text aliases for an emoji, allowing multiple shortcodes to map to the same emoji (e.g., :happy:, :joy:, :lol: all mapping to 😂).

Model Properties​

Table Name​

  • emoji_aliases

Fillable Fields​

  • emoji_id - Foreign key to the associated emoji
  • alias - Alternative shortcode (e.g., :happy:) - unique

Timestamps​

  • created_at
  • updated_at

Traits​

Searchable (Laravel Scout)​

The model uses Laravel Scout for alias search functionality.

public function toSearchableArray()
{
    return [
        'id' => $this->id,
        'alias' => $this->alias,
        'emoji_id' => $this->emoji_id,
    ];
}

Relationships​

Belongs To: Emoji​

public function emoji(): BelongsTo
{
    return $this->belongsTo(Emoji::class);
}

Usage Examples​

Creating Aliases​

use App\Models\EmojiAlias;
use App\Models\Emoji;

// Create an alias for an existing emoji
$emoji = Emoji::where('emoji_shortcode', ':joy:')->first();

$alias = EmojiAlias::create([
    'emoji_id' => $emoji->id,
    'alias' => ':lol:'
]);

// Create multiple aliases via the emoji relationship
$emoji->aliases()->createMany([
    ['alias' => ':laughing:'],
    ['alias' => ':rofl:'],
    ['alias' => ':lmao:']
]);

Retrieving Aliases​

// Find emoji by alias
$alias = EmojiAlias::where('alias', ':lol:')->first();
$emoji = $alias->emoji;

// Get all aliases for an emoji
$emoji = Emoji::find(1);
$aliases = $emoji->aliases;

// Search for aliases
$results = EmojiAlias::search(':hap')->get();

Working with Emoji Through Alias​

// Get the emoji details from an alias
$alias = EmojiAlias::with('emoji')->where('alias', ':lol:')->first();

echo $alias->emoji->title;           // "Laughing"
echo $alias->emoji->emoji_text;      // "😂"
echo $alias->emoji->emoji_shortcode; // ":joy:"

Database Schema​

CREATE TABLE emoji_aliases (
    id BIGINT UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    emoji_id BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
    alias VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL UNIQUE,
    created_at TIMESTAMP NULL,
    updated_at TIMESTAMP NULL,
    INDEX idx_emoji_id_alias (emoji_id, alias),
    FOREIGN KEY (emoji_id) REFERENCES emojis(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
);

Factory​

The model includes a factory for testing:

use App\Models\EmojiAlias;
use App\Models\Emoji;

// Create an alias with a new emoji
$alias = EmojiAlias::factory()->create();

// Create an alias for an existing emoji
$emoji = Emoji::factory()->create();
$alias = EmojiAlias::factory()->create([
    'emoji_id' => $emoji->id,
    'alias' => ':custom-alias:'
]);

// Create multiple aliases
$aliases = EmojiAlias::factory()
    ->count(5)
    ->for($emoji)
    ->create();

Performance Considerations​

  • The alias field has a unique index for fast lookups during text replacement
  • The composite index on (emoji_id, alias) optimizes join queries
  • Cascade delete ensures aliases are removed when an emoji is deleted
  • Scout integration enables fast alias searching

Validation Considerations​

When implementing the emoji management system, consider these validation rules:

  1. Uniqueness Across Tables - An alias should not match any existing emoji_shortcode
  2. Format Validation - Aliases should follow the :name: format
  3. Reserved Keywords - Certain aliases might be reserved for system use

Example validation in a request class:

public function rules()
{
    return [
        'alias' => [
            'required',
            'string',
            'regex:/^:[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+:$/',
            'unique:emoji_aliases,alias',
            Rule::notIn(Emoji::pluck('emoji_shortcode')->toArray()),
        ],
    ];
}

Use Cases​

  1. Slack-style Flexibility - Users can type :+1:, :thumbsup:, or :like: for 👍
  2. Legacy Support - Map old emoticon codes to new emoji system
  3. Localization - Different languages can have their own aliases
  4. User Preferences - Users could potentially create personal aliases

Notes​

  • Aliases are automatically deleted when their parent emoji is deleted (cascade)
  • Each alias must be unique across the entire system
  • The system should validate that an alias doesn't conflict with any emoji shortcode
  • Consider implementing a maximum number of aliases per emoji for performance