Laravel Polymorphic Database Seeder Factory

Question

How can I create a database seeder factory for the following configuration?

User

// create_users_table.php
Schema::create('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
    $table->increments('id');
    ...
}

// User.php
public function notes()
{
    return $this->morphMany('App\Note', 'noteable');
}

Complex

// create_complex_table.php
Schema::create('complex', function (Blueprint $table) {
    $table->increments('id');
    ...
}

// Complex.php
public function notes()
{
    return $this->morphMany('App\Note', 'noteable');
}

Notes

// create_notes_table.php
Schema::create('notes', function (Blueprint $table) {
    $table->increments('id');
    $table->integer('noteable_id');
    $table->string('noteable_type');
    ...
}

// Note.php
public function noteable()
{
    return $this->morphTo();
}

I am struggling to see the most robust way of ensuring that I am not just filling in random id's that may not exist.

Answer 1

I have improved upon HyperionX's answer and removed the static elements from it.

$factory->define(App\Note::class, function (Faker $faker) {
    $noteable = [
        App\User::class,
        App\Complex::class,
    ]; // Add new noteables here as we make them
    $noteableType = $faker->randomElement($noteables);
    $noteable = factory($noteableType)->create();

    return [
        'noteable_type' => $noteableType,
        'noteable_id' => $noteable->id,
        ...
    ];
});

Basically, we pick one of the noteable classes at random, then call it's own factory to get an instance of noteable, thus we get rid of the staticness of the OP's answer.

Answer 2

If you are using a morph map the given solutions won't work because the type won't be the same as the class name.

This will work in combination with a morph map.

Until Laravel 7

$factory->define(App\Note::class, function (Faker $faker) {
    $noteable = $faker->randomElement([
        App\User::class,
        App\Complex::class,
    ]);

    return [
        'noteable_id' => factory($noteable),
        'noteable_type' => array_search($noteable, Relation::$morphMap),
        ...
    ];
});

From Laravel 8

public function definition(): array
{
    /** @var HasFactory $noteable */
    $noteable = $this->faker->randomElement([
        App\User::class,
        App\Complex::class,
    ]);

    return [
        'noteable_type' => array_search($noteable, Relation::$morphMap),
        'noteable_id' => $noteable::factory(),
    ];
}

More information about morph map could be found here: https://laravel.com/docs/8.x/eloquent-relationships#custom-polymorphic-types