Unsigned Integer

For foreign key migrations instead of integer() use unsignedInteger() type or integer()->unsigned(), otherwise you may get SQL errors.

Schema::create('employees', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->unsignedInteger('company_id'); $table->foreign('company_id')->references('id')->on('companies'); // ...});

You can also use unsignedBigInteger() if that other column is bigInteger() type.

Schema::create('employees', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->unsignedBigInteger('company_id');});

Order of Migrations

If you want to change the order of DB migrations, just rename the file's timestamp, like from 2018_08_04_070443_create_posts_table.php to2018_07_04_070443_create_posts_table.php (changed from 2018_08_04 to 2018_07_04).

They run in alphabetical order.

Migration fields with timezones

Did you know that in migrations there's not only timestamps() but also timestampsTz(), for the timezone?

Schema::create('employees', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->increments('id'); $table->string('name'); $table->string('email'); $table->timestampsTz();});

Also, there are columns dateTimeTz(), timeTz(), timestampTz(), softDeletesTz().

Database migrations column types

There are interesting column types for migrations, here are a few examples.

$table->geometry('positions');$table->ipAddress('visitor');$table->macAddress('device');$table->point('position');$table->uuid('id');

See all column types on the official documentation.

Default Timestamp

While creating migrations, you can use timestamp() column type with optionuseCurrent() and useCurrentOnUpdate(), it will set CURRENT_TIMESTAMP as default value.

$table->timestamp('created_at')->useCurrent();$table->timestamp('updated_at')->useCurrentOnUpdate();

Migration Status

If you want to check what migrations are executed or not yet, no need to look at the database "migrations" table, you can launch php artisan migrate:status command.

Example result:

+------+------------------------------------------------+-------+| Ran? | Migration | Batch |+------+------------------------------------------------+-------+| Yes | 2014_10_12_000000_create_users_table | 1 || Yes | 2014_10_12_100000_create_password_resets_table | 1 || No | 2019_08_19_000000_create_failed_jobs_table | |+------+------------------------------------------------+-------+

Create Migration with Spaces

When typing make:migration command, you don't necessarily have to use underscore _ symbol between parts, like create_transactions_table. You can put the name into quotes and then use spaces instead of underscores.

// This worksphp artisan make:migration create_transactions_table// But this works toophp artisan make:migration "create transactions table"

Source: Steve O on Twitter

Create Column after Another Column

Notice: Only MySQL

If you're adding a new column to the existing table, it doesn't necessarily have to become the last in the list. You can specify after which column it should be created:

Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->string('phone')->after('email');});

If you're adding a new column to the existing table, it doesn't necessarily have to become the last in the list. You can specify before which column it should be created:

Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->string('phone')->before('created_at');});

If you want your column to be the first in your table , then use the first method.

Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->string('uuid')->first();});

Also the after() method can now be used to add multiple fields.

Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->after('remember_token', function ($table){ $table->string('card_brand')->nullable(); $table->string('card_last_four', 4)->nullable(); });});

Make migration for existing table

If you make a migration for existing table, and you want Laravel to generate the Schema::table() for you, then add "_in_xxxxx_table" or "_to_xxxxx_table" at the end, or specify "--table" parameter.php artisan change_fields_products_table generates empty class

class ChangeFieldsProductsTable extends Migration{ public function up() { // }}

But add in_xxxxx_tablephp artisan make:migration change_fields_in_products_table and it generates class with Schemma::table() pre-fileed

class ChangeFieldsProductsTable extends Migration{ public function up() { Schema::table('products', function (Blueprint $table) { // }) };}

Also you can specify --table parameter php artisan make:migration whatever_you_want --table=products

class WhateverYouWant extends Migration{ public function up() { Schema::table('products', function (Blueprint $table) { // }) };}

Output SQL before running migrations

When typing migrate --pretend command, you get the SQL query that will be executed in the terminal. It's an interesting way to debug SQL if necessary.

// Artisan commandphp artisan migrate --pretend

Tip given by @zarpelon

Anonymous Migrations

The Laravel team released Laravel 8.37 with anonymous migration support, which solves a GitHub issue with migration class name collisions. The core of the problem is that if multiple migrations have the same class name, it'll cause issues when trying to recreate the database from scratch.Here's an example from the pull request tests:

use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;return new class extends Migration { public function up( { Schema::table('people', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->string('first_name')->nullable(); }); } public function down() { Schema::table('people', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->dropColumn('first_name'); }); }};

Tip given by @nicksdot

You can add "comment" about a column inside your migrations

You can add "comment" about a column inside your migrations and provide useful information.If database is managed by someone other than developers, they can look at comments in Table structure before performing any operations.

$table->unsignedInteger('interval') ->index() ->comment('This column is used for indexing.')

Tip given by @nicksdot

Checking For Table / Column Existence

You may check for the existence of a table or column using the hasTable and hasColumn methods:

if (Schema::hasTable('users')) { // The "users" table exists...}if (Schema::hasColumn('users', 'email')) { // The "users" table exists and has an "email" column...}

Tip given by @dipeshsukhia

Group Columns within an After Method

In your migrations, you can add multiple columns after another column using the after method:

Schema::table('uers', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->after('password', function ($table) { $table->string('address_line1'); $table->string('address_line2'); $table->string('city'); });});

Tip given by @ncosmeescobedo

Add the column in the database table only if it's not present & can drop it if, its present

Now you can add the column in the database table only if its not present & can drop it if, its present. For that following methods are introduced:

👉 whenTableDoesntHaveColumn

👉 whenTableHasColumn

Available from Laravel 9.6.0

return new class extends Migration { public function up() { Schema::whenTableDoesntHaveColumn('users', 'name'), function (Blueprint $table) { $table->string('name', 30); }); } public function down() { Schema::whenTableHasColumn('users', 'name'), function (Blueprint $table) { $table->dropColumn('name'); }); }}

Tip given by @iamharis010

Method to set the default value for current timestamp

You can use useCurrent() method for your custom timestamp column to store the current timestamp as a default value.

Schema::create('posts', function (Blueprint $table) { $table->id(); $table->string('title'); $table->timestamp('added_at')->useCurrent(); $table->timespamps();});

Tip given by @iamgurmandeep