class ModelTableSeeder extends Seeder {

    public function run()
    {
        DB::table('models')->delete();

		$now = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');

		$records = [
			['Echo', 'Toyota']
		];

		for($i = 0; $i < count($records); $i++)
		{
			DB::table('models')->insert(
				array(
					'name' => $records[$i][0],
					'manufacturer_id' => DB::table('manufacturers')->where('name', '=', $records[$i][1])->get('id'),
					'created_at' => $now,
					'updated_at' => $now
				)
			);
		}

    }

}

That's not working either.

Hi,

I think the problem is the way you use the get method. It's argument should be an array: https://github.com/laravel/framework/blob/4.2/src/Illuminate/Database/Query/Builder.php#L1332

So, try

$records = [
    ['Echo', DB::table('manufacturers')->where('name', '=', 'Toyota')->get(['id'])]
];

Oh THAT's what the error's referring to! Brilliant thank you

Could definitely have a nicer error message there :)

Ok unfortunately it's still not quite working when I specify id as an array element.

<?php

class ModelTableSeeder extends Seeder {

    public function run()
    {
        DB::table('models')->delete();

		$records = [
			['Echo', 'Toyota']
		];

		for($i = 0; $i < count($records); $i++)
		{
			$manufacturer_id = DB::table('manufacturers')->where('name', '=', $records[$i][1])->get(['id']);
			DB::table('models')->insert(
				array(
					'name' => $records[$i][0],
					'manufacturer_id' => $manufacturer_id,
					'created_at' => new DateTime,
					'updated_at' => new DateTime
				)
			);
		}

    }

}

I get this error:

"preg_replace(): Parameter mismatch, pattern is a string while replacement is an array." :(

$records = [['Echo', 'Toyota']];
$manufacturer_id = DB::table('manufacturers')
	->where('name', '=', $records[0][1])
	->get(['id']);
var_dump($manufacturer_id);

This gives an stdClass and I need to fetch the ID value and convert it to a string. How do I do that? Here's the output:

array (size=1)
  0 => 
    object(stdClass)[158]
      public 'id' => int 2

Oh I need $manufacturer[0]->id

Got it