I can't figure out how to add a new column to my existing database table using the Laravel framework.
I tried to edit the migration file using...
<?php
public function up()
{
Schema::create('users', function ($table) {
$table->integer("paid");
});
}
In terminal, I execute php artisan migrate:install
and migrate
.
How do I add new columns?
To create a migration, you may use the migrate:make command on the Artisan CLI. Use a specific name to avoid clashing with existing models
for Laravel 5+:
php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users_table --table=users
for Laravel 3:
php artisan migrate:make add_paid_to_users
You then need to use the Schema::table()
method (as you're accessing an existing table, not creating a new one). And you can add a column like this:
public function up()
{
Schema::table('users', function($table) {
$table->integer('paid');
});
}
and don't forget to add the rollback option:
public function down()
{
Schema::table('users', function($table) {
$table->dropColumn('paid');
});
}
Then you can run your migrations:
php artisan migrate
This is all well covered in the documentation for both Laravel 4 / Laravel 5:
Schema Builder
Migrations
And for Laravel 3:
Schema Builder
Migrations
Edit:
use $table->integer('paid')->after('whichever_column');
to add this field after specific column.
I'll add on to mike3875's answer for future readers using Laravel 5.1 and onward.
To make things quicker, you can use the flag "--table" like this:
php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users --table="users"
This will add the up
and down
method content automatically:
/**
* Run the migrations.
*
* @return void
*/
public function up()
{
Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
//
});
}
Similarily, you can use the --create["table_name"]
option when creating new migrations which will add more boilerplate to your migrations. Small point, but helpful when doing loads of them!
Blueprint
was added in Laravel 5.1. Just a point of clarification is all.
laravel 5.6 and above
in case you want to add new column as a FOREIGN KEY to an existing table.
Create a new migration by executing this command : make:migration
Example :
php artisan make:migration add_store_id_to_users_table --table=users
In database/migrations folder you have new migration file, something like :
2018_08_08_093431_add_store_id_to_users_table.php (see the comments)
<?php
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
class AddStoreIdToUsersTable extends Migration
{
/**
* Run the migrations.
*
* @return void
*/
public function up()
{
Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
// 1. Create new column
// You probably want to make the new column nullable
$table->integer('store_id')->unsigned()->nullable()->after('password');
// 2. Create foreign key constraints
$table->foreign('store_id')->references('id')->on('stores')->onDelete('SET NULL');
});
}
/**
* Reverse the migrations.
*
* @return void
*/
public function down()
{
Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
// 1. Drop foreign key constraints
$table->dropForeign(['store_id']);
// 2. Drop the column
$table->dropColumn('store_id');
});
}
}
After that run the command :
php artisan migrate
In case you want to undo the last migration for any reason, run this command :
php artisan migrate:rollback
You can find more information about migrations in the docs
$table->dropForeign('posts_store_id_foreign'); $table->dropColumn('store_id');
If you're using Laravel 5, the command would be;
php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users
All of the commands for making things (controllers, models, migrations etc) have been moved under the make:
command.
php artisan migrate
is still the same though.
In Laravel 8
php artisan make:migration add_columnname_to_tablename_table --table=tablename
then after creating migration in
public function up()
{
Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
// 1. Create new column
$table->datatype('column_name')->nullable();
});
}
public function down()
{
Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
// 1. Create new column
$table->dropColumn('column_name');
});
}
then run
php artisan migrate
if you face error then rename the migration name with the date before the table created and then run again php artisan migrate
You can add new columns within the initial Schema::create
method like this:
Schema::create('users', function($table) {
$table->integer("paied");
$table->string("title");
$table->text("description");
$table->timestamps();
});
If you have already created a table you can add additional columns to that table by creating a new migration and using the Schema::table
method:
Schema::table('users', function($table) {
$table->string("title");
$table->text("description");
$table->timestamps();
});
The documentation is fairly thorough about this, and hasn't changed too much from version 3 to version 4.
create_users_table
, then if I'm adding columns: add_email_password_columns_to_users
.
add_
" verb at front of each file to keep track of changes. this way its easier to track changes for version control etc because a new add file is created for every iteration. If you just went and kept modifying the "create_
" it would be hard to know that x employee, had messed something up by removing an index, or adding a new column etc etc. at least that makes sense in my head! :)
Laravel 7
Create a migration file using cli command: php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users_table --table=users A file will be created in the migrations folder, open it in an editor. Add to the function up():
Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
// Create new column
// You probably want to make the new column nullable
$table->integer('paid')->nullable()->after('status');
}
Add to the function down(), this will run in case migration fails for some reasons: $table->dropColumn('paid'); Run migration using cli command: php artisan migrate
In case you want to add a column to the table to create a foreign key constraint:
In step 3 of the above process, you'll use the following code:
$table->bigInteger('address_id')->unsigned()->nullable()->after('tel_number');
$table->foreign('address_id')->references('id')->on('addresses')->onDelete('SET NULL');
In step 4 of the above process, you'll use the following code:
// 1. Drop foreign key constraints
$table->dropForeign(['address_id']);
// 2. Drop the column
$table->dropColumn('address_id');
this things is worked on laravel 5.1.
first, on your terminal execute this code
php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users --table=users
after that go to your project directory and expand directory database - migration and edit file add_paid_to_users.php, add this code
public function up()
{
Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
$table->string('paid'); //just add this line
});
}
after that go back to your terminal and execute this command
php artisan migrate
hope this help.
First rollback your previous migration
php artisan migrate:rollback
After that, you can modify your existing migration file (add new , rename or delete columns) then Re-Run your migration file
php artisan migrate
WARNING this is a destructive action. If you use this ensure you back up your database first
you can simply modify your existing migration file, for example adding a column in your table, and then in your terminal typing :
$ php artisan migrate:refresh
Add column to your migration file and run this command.
php artisan migrate:refresh --path=/database/migrations/your_file_name.php
First you have to create a migration, you can use the migrate:make command on the laravel artisan CLI.Old laravel version like laravel 4 you may use this command for Laravel 4:
php artisan migrate:make add_paid_to_users
And for laravel 5 version
for Laravel 5+:
php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users_table --table=users
Then you need to use the Schema::table() . And you have to add the column:
public function up()
{
Schema::table('users', function($table) {
$table->integer('paid');
});
}
Although a migration file is best practice as others have mentioned, in a pinch you can also add a column with tinker.
$ php artisan tinker
Here's an example one-liner for the terminal:
Schema::table('users', function(\Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint $table){ $table->integer('paid'); })
(Here it is formatted for readability)
Schema::table('users', function(\Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint $table){
$table->integer('paid');
});
If you don't want to split the blueprint(schema) into two migration file then the best thing you can do is drop the table from the database and then rename the migration file's last number and do
php artisan migrate
This helps you to protect the data of other tables.
Run this command: php artisan migrate:fresh --seed it will drop the table and re add it updating all the columns adding to the database
What you can do is Like,
Schema::create('users', function ($table) { $table->integer("paid"); });
After Writing this write command php artisan migrate
or php artisan refresh
What i personally prefer is to refresh rather than fresh migration because if you do fresh migrate it will remove all the data refresh will not.
but only exception is if you do refresh and if you have any foreign key in table so it will not going to re-establish the relationship so you will get error like,
Cannot add foreign key constrain
If none of the solve worked, you might have recreated the migration file then added a new column and tried to run php artisan migrate
to update the old table which will try to create that table but the table already exists so it gives an error. To solve that rename the migration file as previously named (started with a date), then add new column run php artisan migrate
that will actually update the old one instead of create, solved my problem.
Success story sharing
php artisan migrate
php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users