If you use DB::beginTransaction() and DB::commit() instead of the DB::transaction() closure, you might be leaving your database in a weird state when things go wrong.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-24-manual-transactions-dont-fail-the-way-youd-expect
Manual transactions don't fail the way you'd expect | Mastering Laravel
The closure does more than clean up your code
How do you know if a test is actually useful? In this week's podcast, Aaron and I share a simple rule for spotting tests that only prove the framework works, not your application.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-23-laravel-podcast-are-you-testing-your-app-or-just-the-framework
Are you testing your app or just the framework? | Mastering Laravel
A simple litmus test for your test suite
In today's video, I wade into the classic fillable vs guarded debate with a reason you might not have heard before: guarded triggers a hidden database query.
#laravel #php https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-20-video-another-reason-i-like-fillable-instead-of-guarded
Another reason I like fillable instead of guarded | Mastering Laravel
Every little bit helps
If you use Eloquent's date cast on a DATETIME column, you might be silently persisting time data that Eloquent hides from you. Here's how it happens.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-19-a-subtle-gotcha-with-eloquents-date-cast
A subtle gotcha with Eloquent's date cast | Mastering Laravel
What you read isn't always what gets stored
Events and observers each have their strengths, but sometimes the best approach is to use them together. Here's a real-world scenario where pairing them keeps your app fast and your logic reusable.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-18-republished-using-laravel-events-and-observers-together
A scenario using events and observers together | Mastering Laravel
Sometimes it's useful to pair events and observers together. Let's look at one real-world example.
I once shared a static variable trick for avoiding repeated lookups within a request. Laravel now has a first-party helper that's cleaner and more robust.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-17-a-better-way-to-memoize-within-a-request
A better way to memoize within a request | Mastering Laravel
A framework-supported upgrade to a plain PHP trick
Using loadMissing() to avoid duplicate queries? If the relationship was previously loaded with a filter, you might silently get incomplete data. Here's when the extra query is actually worth it.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-16-when-loadmissing-works-against-you
When loadMissing works against you | Mastering Laravel
Sometimes the extra query is worth it
In today's video, I show you how PHPStorm's PR review tools give you better file tracking than GitHub's own interface.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-13-video-another-nice-feature-for-local-pull-request-review
Another nice feature for local pull request review | Mastering Laravel
It's even nicer than GitHub's UI
If your Laravel app runs on Amazon RDS, switching from gp2 to gp3 storage can save money and improve performance. Here's how to do it safely.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-12-a-quick-rds-storage-tweak-for-your-laravel-app
A quick RDS storage tweak for your Laravel app | Mastering Laravel
Save money and get faster queries with one change
We all want fast code, but how do you find the slow spots in production? Here are two approaches that have worked well for us.
#php #laravel https://masteringlaravel.io/daily/2026-03-11-republished-how-do-you-know-if-slow-in-production
How do you know if something is slow in production? | Mastering Laravel
The tools we used for finding slow code in development are not suitable for production. So how can we find slow code there?
