name: laravel-migrations-and-factories
description: Safe database change patterns; when to modify vs add migrations; always pair models with migrations and factories; seeding guidance

Migrations and Factories

Keep schema changes safe, testable, and reversible.

Commands

php artisan make:model Post -mfc

# Run/rollback
php artisan migrate
php artisan migrate:rollback --step=1

# Fresh DB (dangerous; dev only)
php artisan migrate:fresh --seed

Rules

• Pair each new model with a migration and a factory
• If a migration was merged to main, never edit it—add a new one
• On feature branches, you may amend migrations created on that branch (if not merged)
• Seed realistic but minimal datasets in seeder classes; keep huge datasets external

Factories

• Prefer state modifiers (e.g., ->state([...])) over boolean flags
• Use relationships (e.g., belongsTo) in factories to build realistic graphs
• Keep factories fast; move expensive setup to seeds where possible

Testing

• Use factories in tests; avoid manual inserts
• For integration tests touching DB, use transactions or RefreshDatabase