initAttributes

Static factory: build a model instance pre-filled with attributes, without persisting it to the database. Useful when you want to construct a model in memory, mutate it, then call save() yourself.

Signature

class Model {
  static initAttributes<T>(this: Constructor<T>, attributes?: Record<string, any>): T;
}

Parameters

Name	Required	Description
attributes	optional	Object of column → value. Subject to _fillable whitelist.

Returns

A new model instance with _exists = false and the given attributes populated. _original is synced so the dirty-attribute tracking starts clean.

Real-World Use Cases

1. Build-then-save with a non-default connection

let user = User.initAttributes({ email: 'linbolen@gradii.com' });
user.SetConnection('second_connection');
await user.save();

user = User.initAttributes({ email: 'xsilen@gradii.com' });
user.SetConnection('second_connection');
await user.save();

const models = await User.useConnection('second_connection').fromQuery(
  'SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?',
  ['xsilen@gradii.com'],
);
console.log(models[0].GetConnectionName()); // 'second_connection'

This is the long form of User.createQuery().create({...}) when you need to do extra work between construction and save (set the connection, attach event handlers, mutate attributes).

2. Pre-fill a form model

const draft = User.initAttributes({
  email: req.query.email,
  plan: 'free',
});
return render('signup', { draft });

The instance carries default values and a _exists === false flag — useful for "is this a new record?" branching in templates.

3. Pre-construct then saveOrFail — duplicate-entry assertion

const date = '1970-01-01';
await Post.createQuery().create({
  id: 1,
  user_id: 1,
  name: 'Post',
  created_at: date,
  updated_at: date,
});

const dup = Post.initAttributes({
  id: 1,
  user_id: 1,
  name: 'Post',
  created_at: date,
  updated_at: date,
});

await expect(dup.saveOrFail()).rejects.toThrowError('SQLSTATE[23000]:');

initAttributes doesn't persist — the second Post only hits the database when you save it.

4. Compose with setRawAttributes

initAttributes runs through Fill (mass-assignment guards apply). For internal hydration that bypasses guards (e.g. database loaders), use setRawAttributes directly:

const u = new User();
u.setRawAttributes({ id: 42, email: 'ada@example.com' }, /* sync */ true);
u._exists = true; // mark as loaded

initAttributes vs new Model() vs create

Tool	Persists?	Mass-assigns	When
Class.initAttributes({...})	✗	✓ (uses Fill)	Construct + later save.
new Class().Fill({...})	✗	✓	Same — older API style.
Class.createQuery().create({...})	✓	✓	One-shot insert + return.
Class.initAttributes(...).SetRawAttributes(...)	✗	✗	Hydration from a DB row.

Common Pitfalls

• MassAssignmentException: keys not in _fillable throw. Use forceFill if you really need to bypass.
• _exists is false until you save(). Calling Update/Delete immediately after initAttributes won't write anything (those methods early-return when _exists is false).
• Static method, not constructor. initAttributes is a class-level factory — call User.initAttributes(...), not new User().initAttributes(...).

See Also

• fillable — the mass-assignment whitelist.
• save / saveOrFail — persist after construction.
• create — combined construct + save.
• setRawAttributes — bypass mass-assignment for internal hydration.