0055-laravel-migrations-and-factories

To ensure database safety with Laravel migrations, you should never edit a merged migration. Instead, create a new migration to alter the schema, keeping your database evolution reversible and preventing team conflicts.

The best way to create realistic test data is using Laravel factories paired with your Eloquent models. Use state and relationship definitions within factories to generate deterministic datasets for integration testing.

Use Laravel factories for generating deterministic test datasets during testing, and use seeders for minimal realistic base data. Rely on factories instead of manual inserts to keep tests isolated and consistent.

Maintain schema consistency by coupling Eloquent models with migrations and factories. Apply new migrations for branch changes and use rollback or fresh workflows to safely sync database states.

You should favor RefreshDatabase or transactions for Laravel integration tests. These approaches reset the database state efficiently, ensuring factories generate clean data without persisting side effects.

Yes, coupling Eloquent models with factories is required. This ensures you can instantly generate realistic test data using state and relationships whenever you add a new model and migration.