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In web development, the need to insert multiple records into a database simultaneously arises frequently, especially when handling bulk data operations.

CodeIgniter 4, a robust PHP framework, offers convenient methods for efficiently inserting multiple records, reducing database interaction overhead. In this tutorial, we’ll see the process of inserting multiple records into a database using CodeIgniter 4.

We will see the concept of multiple data rows insert using Query Builder as well as Model approach.

Let’s get started.

CodeIgniter 4 Installation

To create a CodeIgniter 4 setup run this given command into your shell or terminal. Please make sure composer should be installed.

composer create-project codeigniter4/appstarter codeigniter-4

Assuming you have successfully installed application into your local system.

Create Database

To create a database, either we can create via Manual tool of PhpMyadmin or by means of a mysql command.

We will use MySQL command to create database. Run this command into Sql tab of PhpMyAdmin.

CREATE DATABASE codeigniter4_app;

Successfully, we have created a database.

Database Connection

Open .env file from project root.

Search for DATABASE. You should see the connection environment variables into it. Put your updated details of database connection string values.

 
#--------------------------------------------------------------------
# DATABASE
#--------------------------------------------------------------------

database.default.hostname = localhost
database.default.database = codeigniter4_app
database.default.username = admin
database.default.password = admin
database.default.DBDriver = MySQLi
database.default.DBPrefix =
database.default.port = 3306

Now, database successfully connected with the application.

Environment (.env) Setup

When we install CodeIgniter 4, we will have env file at root. To use the environment variables means using variables at global scope we need to do env to .env

Either we can do via renaming file as simple as that. Also we can do by terminal command.

Open project in terminal

cp env .env

Above command will create a copy of env file to .env file. Now we are ready to use environment variables.

Enable Development Mode

CodeIgniter starts up in production mode by default. You need to make it in development mode to see any error if you are working with application.

Open .env file from root.

# CI_ENVIRONMENT = production

 // Do it to 
 
CI_ENVIRONMENT = development

Now application is in development mode.

Create Migration

Open project into terminal and run this command to create migration file.

php spark make:migration add_posts

It will create a file –

Migration file – xxx_AddPosts.php inside /app/Database/Migrations folder.

Open Migration file and write this complete code into it.

<?php

namespace App\Database\Migrations;

use CodeIgniter\Database\Migration;

class AddPosts extends Migration
{
	public function up()
	{
		$this->forge->addField([
			'id' => [
				'type' => 'INT',
				'constraint' => 5,
				'unsigned' => true,
				'auto_increment' => true,
			],
			'title' => [
				'type' => 'VARCHAR',
				'constraint' => 50,
				'null' => false
			],
			'body' => [
				'type' => 'TEXT',
				'null' => true
			]
		]);
		$this->forge->addPrimaryKey('id');
		$this->forge->createTable('posts');
	}

	public function down()
	{
		$this->forge->dropTable('posts');
	}
}

Next,

Run Migration

We need to create table inside database.

php spark migrate

This command will create table – posts inside database.

Insert Bulk Data – Query Builder Method

Let’s create a controller file.

Controller File

To create a controller, run this command.

php spark make:controller PostController

It will create PostController.php inside /app/Controllers folder.

Open file and write this complete code into it.

<?php

namespace App\Controllers;

use App\Controllers\BaseController;

class PostController extends BaseController
{
	public function __construct()
	{
		$this->db = db_connect();
	}

	public function index()
	{
		$builder = $this->db->table("posts");

		$data = [
			[
				'title' => 'Custom Title',
				'body'  => 'Post Body New'
			],
			[
				'title' => 'Custom Title 2',
				'body'  => 'Post Body New 2'
			],
			[
				'title' => 'Custom Title 3',
				'body'  => 'Post Body New 3'
			],
			[
				'title' => 'Custom Title 4',
				'body'  => 'Post Body New 4'
			]
		];

		$builder->insertBatch($data);
	}
}

Route

Open Routes.php from /app/Config folder. Add this route into it.

//...

$routes->get("data", "PostController::index");

URL: http://localhost:8080/data

Output

Insert Bulk Data – Using Model

Let’s create a model and a controller file.

Model File

php spark make:model Post

It will create a model Post.php inside /app/Models folder.

Open file and write this complete code into it.

<?php

namespace App\Models;

use CodeIgniter\Model;

class Post extends Model
{
	protected $DBGroup              = 'default';
	protected $table                = 'posts';
	protected $primaryKey           = 'id';
	protected $useAutoIncrement     = true;
	protected $insertID             = 0;
	protected $returnType           = 'array';
	protected $useSoftDelete        = false;
	protected $protectFields        = true;
	protected $allowedFields        = [
		'title',
		'body'
	];

	// Dates
	protected $useTimestamps        = false;
	protected $dateFormat           = 'datetime';
	protected $createdField         = 'created_at';
	protected $updatedField         = 'updated_at';
	protected $deletedField         = 'deleted_at';

	// Validation
	protected $validationRules      = [];
	protected $validationMessages   = [];
	protected $skipValidation       = false;
	protected $cleanValidationRules = true;

	// Callbacks
	protected $allowCallbacks       = true;
	protected $beforeInsert         = [];
	protected $afterInsert          = [];
	protected $beforeUpdate         = [];
	protected $afterUpdate          = [];
	protected $beforeFind           = [];
	protected $afterFind            = [];
	protected $beforeDelete         = [];
	protected $afterDelete          = [];
}

Controller File

To create a controller, run this command.

php spark make:controller PostController

It will create PostController.php inside /app/Controllers folder.

Open file and write this complete code into it.

<?php

namespace App\Controllers;

use App\Controllers\BaseController;
use App\Models\Post;

class PostController extends BaseController
{
	public function index()
	{
		$postObject = new Post();

		$data = [
			[
				'title' => 'Custom Title',
				'body'  => 'Post Body New'
			],
			[
				'title' => 'Custom Title 2',
				'body'  => 'Post Body New 2'
			],
			[
				'title' => 'Custom Title 3',
				'body'  => 'Post Body New 3'
			],
			[
				'title' => 'Custom Title 4',
				'body'  => 'Post Body New 4'
			]
		];

		$postObject->insertBatch($data);
	}
}

Route

Open Routes.php from /app/Config folder. Add this route into it.

//...

$routes->get("data", "PostController::index");

URL: http://localhost:8080/data

Output

That’s it.

We hope this article helped you to learn CodeIgniter 4 How to Insert Multiple Records Example Tutorial in a very detailed way.

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