How to insert data in database - Laravel framework

How to Insert Data into a MySQL Database in Laravel

Laravel provides multiple ways to insert data into a database using Eloquent ORM and Query Builder. Let’s go step by step:

1. Insert Data Using Eloquent ORM

Eloquent makes inserting data into the database easy. Here’s how:

Step 1: Define a Model

If you haven’t created a model yet, use this command:

php artisan make:model Product

It will generate a Product.php model inside the app/Models directory.

Step 2: Configure the Model

Open app/Models/Product.php and define the table and fillable fields:

<?php

namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;

class Product extends Model
{
    use HasFactory;

    protected $table = 'products'; // Table name

    protected $fillable = ['name', 'price', 'description']; // Allow mass assignment
}

Step 3: Insert Data Using Eloquent

Now, insert data into the database:

use App\Models\Product;

// Create a new product record
Product::create([
    'name' => 'Laptop',
    'price' => 1200,
    'description' => 'High-performance laptop'
]);

Alternatively, you can use the save() method:

$product = new Product();
$product->name = 'Smartphone';
$product->price = 800;
$product->description = 'Latest smartphone model';
$product->save();

2. Insert Data Using Laravel Query Builder

The Query Builder allows inserting data without using models.

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;

DB::table('products')->insert([
    'name' => 'Tablet',
    'price' => 500,
    'description' => 'Portable and powerful tablet'
]);

For multiple records:

DB::table('products')->insert([
    ['name' => 'Headphones', 'price' => 150, 'description' => 'Noise-canceling headphones'],
    ['name' => 'Monitor', 'price' => 300, 'description' => '4K Ultra HD display']
]);

3. Insert Data from a Form (Example with Controller & Request Validation)

If you're inserting data from a form, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a Controller

php artisan make:controller ProductController

Step 2: Add Store Function in Controller

Modify app/Http/Controllers/ProductController.php:

use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use App\Models\Product;

class ProductController extends Controller
{
    public function store(Request $request)
    {
        // Validate request
        $request->validate([
            'name' => 'required|string|max:255',
            'price' => 'required|numeric',
            'description' => 'nullable|string',
        ]);

        // Insert data
        Product::create([
            'name' => $request->name,
            'price' => $request->price,
            'description' => $request->description,
        ]);

        return back()->with('success', 'Product added successfully!');
    }
}

Step 3: Create a Form in Blade File

In resources/views/products/create.blade.php:

<form action="{{ route('products.store') }}" method="POST">
    @csrf
    <label>Name:</label>
    <input type="text" name="name" required>

    <label>Price:</label>
    <input type="number" name="price" required>

    <label>Description:</label>
    <textarea name="description"></textarea>

    <button type="submit">Add Product</button>
</form>

Step 4: Define Route in routes/web.php

use App\Http\Controllers\ProductController;

Route::post('/products/store', [ProductController::class, 'store'])->name('products.store');

Final Thoughts

Laravel provides flexible ways to insert data into a MySQL database: ✅ Eloquent ORM (Recommended for clean and readable code)
✅ Query Builder (Useful for direct SQL-like operations)
✅ Form Handling (For inserting user input into the database with validation)