Laravel Migrations & Database Setup Explained (Beginner Guide)

Introduction

When building a dynamic web application, the database plays a very important role. Laravel makes database management easy and clean using migrations.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to configure the database in Laravel and create tables using migrations without writing complex SQL queries.

What is a Migration in Laravel?

A migration is like a version control system for your database.

It allows you to:

• Create tables
• Modify columns
• Roll back changes easily

Instead of writing SQL manually, Laravel lets you define your database structure using PHP.

Step 1: Database Configuration in Laravel

First, open your .env file and update your database details:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=laravel_project
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

Make sure the database already exists in phpMyAdmin or your database manager.

Step 2: Create a Migration

To create a new migration, run the following command:

php artisan make:migration create_users_table

Laravel will create a migration file inside:

database/migrations

Step 3: Understanding a Migration File

A typical migration file looks like this:

public function up()
{
    Schema::create('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->string('name');
        $table->string('email')->unique();
        $table->timestamps();
    });
}

public function down()
{
    Schema::dropIfExists('users');
}

Explanation:

• up() → Creates or modifies tables
• down() → Reverts the changes
• timestamps() → Adds created_at and updated_at columns

Step 4: Run the Migration

To create the table in the database, run:

php artisan migrate

If successful, Laravel will create the table automatically.

Step 5: Rollback a Migration

If something goes wrong, you can undo the migration using:

php artisan migrate:rollback

This will revert the last batch of migrations.

Step 6: Modifying Existing Tables

To add a new column, create a new migration:

php artisan make:migration add_phone_to_users_table

Inside the migration:

public function up()
{
    Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->string('phone')->nullable();
    });
}

Run migrate again to apply changes.

Why Use Migrations?

• Keeps database structure consistent
• Easy collaboration in teams
• No need to write raw SQL
• Easy rollback and updates

Conclusion

Laravel migrations provide a clean and organized way to manage your database structure.

Once you understand migrations, working with databases in Laravel becomes much easier and faster.

In the next tutorial, we’ll cover Laravel Models and Eloquent ORM Basics.