The Empty Box Problem in Laravel Migrations (And why I stopped using default strings)

🛑 Stop me if you’ve faced this decision before.

You are writing a Laravel migration.
You need to add an optional column, like unit_type.
Not every product needs a unit.

So, you have two choices:

1. $table->string('unit_type')->default('');
2. $table->string('unit_type')->nullable();

I almost always chose Option 1.

Why? Fear.

I was afraid of the dreaded Trying to access property on null error in my frontend.
I just wanted to output the value without writing if statements everywhere.
Using default('') felt "safe."

But after 10 years of database design, I realized I was doing it wrong.

Here is a simple way to look at it:

Imagine a warehouse shelf. 📦

Using `nullable()` is like having no box on the shelf.
It means: "This item does not apply here." (e.g., A digital download has no weight).

Using `default('')` is like putting an empty box on the shelf.
It means: "There is a box here, but we forgot to put something inside."

When you use empty strings, you are technically "lying" to your database. You are saying there is a value (text of length 0), even when there isn’t.

Why does this matter?

❌ Queries get messy: searching for WHERE column IS NULL is standard. Searching for WHERE column = '' feels amateur.
❌ Foreign Keys: You can’t make an empty string a foreign key later.
❌ Analytics: Reports get confused between "missing data" and "empty text."

The Best Practice Solution?

Keep the database clean, and handle the "safety" in your Model.

1. In your migration, use nullable(). Let the database be accurate.
2. In your Laravel Model, use an Accessor:

public function getUnitTypeAttribute($value)
{
    return $value ?? '';
}

This gives you the best of both worlds.
Your database stores clean NULL values.
Your frontend gets a safe empty string.

👇 What’s your preference? Do you strictly enforce NULLs, or do you sneak in defaults to save time? Let’s argue in the comments.