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The Category model represents content categories synced from your IPTV provider. Categories help organize movies and TV series for easier browsing.

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Model Location

app/Models/Category.php

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Database Schema

The categories table stores category information from your IPTV provider.
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id
integer
Primary key
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provider_id
string
Unique identifier from the IPTV provider
  • Must be unique across all categories
  • Used for syncing with provider’s category structure
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name
string
Display name of the category
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in_vod
boolean
Whether this category contains VOD/movie content
  • Indexed for performance
  • Used to filter categories in movie browsing
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in_series
boolean
Whether this category contains TV series content
  • Indexed for performance
  • Used to filter categories in series browsing
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is_system
boolean
Whether this is a system-managed category
  • System categories cannot be deleted
  • Includes “Uncategorized” categories
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created_at
timestamp
When the category was first created
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updated_at
timestamp
When the category was last updated

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Fillable Attributes

protected $fillable = [
    'provider_id',
    'name',
    'in_vod',
    'in_series',
    'is_system',
];

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Type Casts

protected function casts(): array
{
    return [
        'in_vod' => 'boolean',
        'in_series' => 'boolean',
        'is_system' => 'boolean',
    ];
}

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System Categories

Two special system categories are created automatically:

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Uncategorized VOD

Category::UNCATEGORIZED_VOD_PROVIDER_ID = '__uncategorized_vod__'
  • Provider ID: __uncategorized_vod__
  • Name: Uncategorized
  • In VOD: true
  • In Series: false
  • Is System: true
Used for movies that don’t have a category assigned by the provider.

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Uncategorized Series

Category::UNCATEGORIZED_SERIES_PROVIDER_ID = '__uncategorized_series__'
  • Provider ID: __uncategorized_series__
  • Name: Uncategorized
  • In VOD: false
  • In Series: true
  • Is System: true
Used for TV series that don’t have a category assigned by the provider.

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Usage Examples

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Query VOD Categories

use App\Models\Category;

// Get all VOD categories
$vodCategories = Category::where('in_vod', true)->get();

// Get non-system VOD categories
$userCategories = Category::where('in_vod', true)
    ->where('is_system', false)
    ->get();

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Query Series Categories

// Get all series categories
$seriesCategories = Category::where('in_series', true)->get();

// Find category by provider ID
$category = Category::where('provider_id', 'action-123')->first();

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Check System Categories

// Get uncategorized VOD category
$uncategorizedVod = Category::where(
    'provider_id',
    Category::UNCATEGORIZED_VOD_PROVIDER_ID
)->first();

// Check if category is system-managed
if ($category->is_system) {
    // Cannot delete system categories
}

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Database Indexes

The categories table has indexes on:
  • provider_id (unique) - Fast lookups by provider identifier
  • in_vod - Efficient filtering of VOD categories
  • in_series - Efficient filtering of series categories

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Relationships

Categories are referenced by VOD streams and Series through the category_provider_id field, but do not have explicit Eloquent relationships defined. The relationship is maintained at the application level through provider IDs.

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Synchronization

Categories are synced from your IPTV provider using the SyncCategories action: 
use App\Actions\SyncCategories;

// Trigger category sync
$result = app(SyncCategories::class)->handle();
See Sync Media Action for more details on synchronization.

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Category Sync Process

1

Fetch Categories

Retrieve categories from Xtream Codes API
2

Update or Create

For each category, update existing or create new records
3

Preserve System Categories

System categories are never deleted, even if removed from provider
4

Update Timestamps

Track when categories were last synced
Categories are separate for VOD and Series content. A category can exist in both (e.g., “Action” movies and “Action” TV shows) or be specific to one content type.

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Validation Rules

When creating or updating categories:
  • provider_id must be unique
  • name is required
  • in_vod and in_series cannot both be false
  • System categories (is_system = true) cannot be deleted
Never manually delete system categories. They are required for proper functioning of the uncategorized content feature.

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