laravel-migrations_skill

Overview

This skill provides concise, practical guidance for Laravel 12 database migrations using the Schema Builder, column types, indexes, foreign keys, and seeders. It codifies common migration patterns, critical rules, and command examples to design and manage schema changes safely. The goal is predictable, reversible migrations and performant schemas that follow Laravel best practices.

How this skill works

The skill inspects migration needs and maps them to the right migration type (create, add, modify, index, seeder). It recommends concrete Schema Builder patterns—column methods, foreignId()->constrained(), index strategies, and cascade options—and includes rollback and testing advice. It also provides quick command examples and templates to speed implementation and validation.

When to use it

• Creating a new table or pivot table
• Adding or modifying columns on an existing table
• Adding indexes or foreign key constraints for performance and integrity
• Seeding initial or test data after schema changes
• Preparing migrations for deployment with rollback testing

Best practices

• Always implement a reversible down() method and test rollbacks before deploy
• Use foreignId()->constrained() instead of raw unsignedBigInteger for foreign keys
• Add indexes on foreign keys and frequently queried column combinations
• Never modify migrations already deployed to production; create new migrations instead
• Use --pretend to preview generated SQL and migrate:fresh --seed for safe local refreshes

Example use cases

• Create posts table with id(), foreignId('user_id')->constrained()->cascadeOnDelete(), timestamps, softDeletes(), and a composite index on user_id and status
• Add a unique slug column: make:migration add_slug_to_posts_table and in up() add string('slug')->after('title')->unique()
• Modify an existing column type using a dedicated modify migration and appropriate DB driver support
• Add an index migration to improve query performance on a frequently filtered column set
• Create a seeder to populate reference data and run with migrate:fresh --seed for local tests