forceDelete method not working as expected in laravel 5 project (can't delete model from the database)

Question

I working (editing) on project base on laravel 5.8 in the database I have "contacts" table main columns are :

( id ,name, .. ,deleted_at , deleted_by agency_id contactable_id ... )

so when is use $model->delete() for soft delete it will work very well

before delete ( id :1 ,name: 'name', .. ,deleted_at : null , deleted_by :null agency_id : 1 contactable_id : 1)

after delete ( id :1 ,name: 'name', .. ,deleted_at : (dateValue) , deleted_by :1 agency_id : 1 contactable_id : 1)

class ContactController extends Controller
{
 public function delete(Request $request)
    {


        if ($request->ajax()) {
            \Log::info($request->contact_id);
            try {
                $deleted = $this->model_instance::find($request->contact_id)->delete();
            } catch (\Exception $ex) {
                \Log::info($ex->getMessage());
            }
            if ($deleted) {
                $log_message = trans('contacts.delete_log') . '#' . $request->contact_id;
                //logActivity($log_message);
                return response()->json(['status' => 'success', 'message' => 'deleted_successfully']);
            } else {
                return response()->json(['status' => 'fail', 'message' => 'fail_while_delete']);
            }
        }

        return redirect()->route($this->index_route);
    }
}

so when is use $model->forceDelete() for delete for ever from the database (forceDelete) it will not work as expected but will fill deleted_by with user number and keep deleted_at with null value

before force delete ( id :1 ,name: 'name', .. ,deleted_at : null , deleted_by :null agency_id : 1 contactable_id : 1)

after force delete ( id :1 ,name: 'name', .. ,deleted_at : null , deleted_by :1 agency_id : 1 contactable_id : 1)

class ContactController extends Controller
{
    public function forceDelete(Request $request)
    {
        if ($request->ajax()) {
            \Log::info($request->contact_id);
            try {
                $deleted = $this->model_instance::withTrashed()->find($request->contact_id)->forceDelete();
              
            } catch (\Exception $ex) {
                \Log::info($ex->getMessage());
            }
            // if ($deleted) {
            //     $log_message = trans('contacts.delete_log') . '#' . $request->contact_id;
            //     return response()->json(['status' => 'success', 'message' => 'deleted_successfully']);
            // } else {
            //     return response()->json(['status' => 'fail', 'message' => 'fail_while_delete']);
            // }
        }
        // return redirect()->route($this->index_route);
    }
}

forceDelete() return true

---

so this method work like this or there problem in my code in some where(I mean not jsut the previos code ) ?!

use softdelete in some cases use delete (for soft delete) and other cases use forceDelete (for delete from the database)

---

for soft delete it worked very well for force delete it takes another scenario

Answer 1

$deleted = $this->model_instance::find($request->contact_id)->forceDelete();

Will not work.

Use where instead of find:

$deleted = $this->model_instance::where('id', $request->contact_id)->forceDelete();

This will work very well.