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Laravel Sequence Numbers

Concurrency-safe Laravel sequence numbers with database transactions, row-level locking, grouping, prefixes, and Eloquent model integration.

The Problem: Generating sequential, human-readable numbers—like INV-0001 or ORD-2026-001—is surprisingly difficult in a highly concurrent Laravel application. Relying on simple database counts or max() queries inevitably leads to race conditions, duplicate numbers, and database query crashes.

The Solution: A concurrency-safe sequence number generator for Laravel using database transactions and row-level locking. It guarantees perfectly incremental, gapless numbers even under extreme server load. Effortlessly create formatted sequences with customized prefixes and zero-padding, isolate counters by dynamic groups (like per-tenant or per-year), and auto-assign them to your Eloquent models using a convenient HasSequence trait.

Quick summary: use the sequence() helper inside a DB transaction to generate concurrency-safe sequence numbers, or add the HasSequence trait to auto-assign them on Eloquent model creating.

Important constraint: This package intentionally requires a database transaction to guarantee correctness under concurrency.

How It Works

• The package stores the current counter in a sequences table keyed by (name, group_by).
• When you call ->next(), it locks the matching row with SELECT ... FOR UPDATE inside your transaction.
• It increments last_number safely, then returns the formatted value with any prefix, padding, or custom format applied.
• groupBy() changes which counter row is used, so you can keep separate sequences per tenant, branch, year, day, or any other scope.
• Unlike max() + 1 or counting rows, this approach is designed to stay correct under concurrency.

When To Use This Package

• You need human-readable sequential numbers such as invoices, orders, customer codes, or batch IDs.
• You need sequence generation to remain correct under concurrency in a Laravel application.
• You want grouped counters such as per tenant, per branch, per year, or per day.
• You want formatted output like prefixes, zero-padding, or custom templates while keeping the numeric counter safe.
• You want sequence assignment integrated with Eloquent model creation through HasSequence.

When Not To Use This Package

• You cannot wrap the create flow in a database transaction.
• You do not need strict sequential behavior and a UUID or random identifier would work better.
• You are fine with gaps, duplicates, or eventual consistency from approaches like max() + 1.
• Your database engine or table setup does not support transaction-safe row-level locking.

Requirements

• PHP: ^8.3
• Laravel: ^10 || ^11 || ^12 || ^13
• Database: uses row-level locking (SELECT ... FOR UPDATE) inside transactions to ensure safe concurrent increments.

Installation

Install via Composer:

Run your migrations (the package auto-loads its migrations via the service provider):

Optional: publish the config file if you want to customize table/connection/model:

Optional: publish the migration if you want to customize the table name or columns:

Tables

The package creates a sequences table which stores the current last_number per (name, group_by) tuple. The group_by column is a deterministic string token generated from the configured groupBy values.

If you use a custom model via config('sequence.model'), it must extend Eloquent Model and be backed by a table that contains name, group_by, and last_number columns. The package writes those attributes via forceFill(), so fillable is not required.

If you publish and customize the migration, keep the unique index on (name, group_by) and a numeric last_number column — those are required for correctness under concurrency.

Usage

Important: Sequence generation must run inside a DB transaction; the package will throw an exception if called outside one. This package intentionally requires a database transaction to guarantee correctness under concurrency. Use ->next() to reserve and return the next value.

Mental model

• prefix() and format() control only how the final sequence value is displayed.
• groupBy() determines which counter row is used, so it controls when numbering resets.
• padLength() zero-pads the numeric part on the left, similar to PHP str_pad(..., STR_PAD_LEFT).

1) Simple sequential numbers

Generate an incrementing sequence ("1", "2", "3", ...):

2) Prefix and pad length

Provide a prefix and a pad numeric length (padded with zeros):

You can combine any prefix string with an integer padLength.

padLength behaves like PHP str_pad(..., STR_PAD_LEFT): the numeric part is left-padded with 0 up to the requested length, and if the number is already longer than that length, it is returned unchanged.

2b) Custom increment step

By default the package increments by 1. If you need 1, 6, 11, ... or any other step size, use step():

The first generated value still starts from the configured minimum. The step is applied to each subsequent reservation.

3) Dynamic parts in the output (e.g. year + sequence)

If you want codes like 202601, 202602, ... you can pass dynamic prefix values (for example date('Y')) and a suitable pad length:

This only prefixes the generated number with the current year. It does not create a separate counter per year.

For example, if the underlying sequence keeps incrementing across years, you might see values like 202601, 202602, ... and later 2027100, 2027101, ...

prefix() and format() only control how the final sequence value is displayed. They do not create a new counter or reset numbering.

groupBy() determines which counter row is used. Use it whenever numbering should reset by year, month, tenant, branch, or any other grouping key.

For common date-based scopes, you can also use the convenience helpers groupByYear(), groupByMonth(), and groupByDay().

If you want the number to reset for each new year, month, branch, or tenant, use grouping as well:

3b) Custom format templates

If you want a full template such as INV/20260318/0001, use format() and place a ? where the sequence number should go:

The ? placeholder is replaced with the generated number after padding is applied.

3c) Custom format callbacks

If you need full control over the final output, format() also accepts a callback. The callback receives the already padded numeric portion and must return the final sequence string:

This is useful when you need dynamic suffixes, more advanced string composition, or formatting that does not fit a single ? placeholder template.

Like prefix(), format() only changes how the final value is displayed. It does not create a separate counter by itself.

Without grouping, the date part in the formatted output can change while the underlying counter continues increasing. For example, you might see INV/20260318/0001, INV/20260318/0002, and later INV/20260319/0100, INV/20260319/0101, ...

If you also want the counter to reset per day, combine the format with grouping:

4) Grouped sequences (per parent, per branch, etc.)

Sometimes you want separate counters per group of values (branch, year, tenant, etc.). The package supports grouping by multiple keys or models.

Important: groupBy() changes which counter row is used. It does not automatically add those values to the output string. If you want the group key to also appear in the generated value, include it in the prefix or format template yourself.

Example: reset sequence per branch and year:

Notes:

• You can pass persisted Eloquent models inside groupBy($modelA, $modelB).
• Models must exist in the database before being used for grouping.
• If you prefer a more expressive name when grouping by parent models, use belongsTo($modelA, $modelB). It behaves exactly like groupBy().

Example with belongsTo():

Common recipes

Yearly reset with the year shown in the output:

Separate counters by multiple grouping keys (tenant, branch, year):

Invoice number with a date in the output and a per-day reset:

5) Auto-assign on Eloquent models (HasSequence)

Add the HasSequence trait to your model and provide a sequenceColumns() method that returns a SequenceColumnCollection. This supports one or many columns. Example:

Behavior notes for trait usage:

• The sequence type name is derived from the model table name + column name (used as the name key in sequences).
• Generation runs during the model creating hook — your create flow must be in a DB transaction, otherwise generation will throw.
• This package intentionally requires a database transaction to guarantee correctness under concurrency.
• If the column already has a non-empty value, the trait will not overwrite it.

Example with a custom format on a model column:

Multiple columns example:

API reference

• Helper: sequence(string $name) — returns a NextSequence instance.
• Call ->groupBy(...$keys) on the returned object to scope the counter by multiple values or models.
• Call ->belongsTo(...$models) — an expressive alias for groupBy() when scoping counters by parent Eloquent models.
• Convenience helpers: ->groupByYear(), ->groupByMonth(), and ->groupByDay() for common date-based counter scopes.
• Call ->step(int $amount) to define a custom increment step (default 1).
• Call ->prefix(string $prefix) to prepend a static or dynamic string.
• Call ->padLength(int $length) to zero-pad the numeric part on the left.
• Call ->format(string|Closure $format) to use either a ? placeholder template or a callback that returns the final output string.
• Call ->range(int $min, ?int $max = null) to set min/max bounds directly on the fluent sequence builder.
• Call ->bounded(int $min, int $max) to set a bounded range that throws on overflow.
• Call ->cyclingRange(int $min, int $max) to set a bounded range that cycles back to min.
• Call ->cycle() to wrap to min when max is reached.
• Call ->throwOnOverflow() to explicitly keep the default overflow behavior.
• Call ->config(fn (SequenceConfig $config) => ...) when you want to configure the underlying SequenceConfig explicitly or reuse the same style as HasSequence.
• SequenceConfig::groupByYear() / groupByMonth() / groupByDay() — convenience helpers for date-based group scopes.
• SequenceConfig::step(int $amount) — configure a custom increment step.
• SequenceConfig::prefix(string $prefix) — configure a prefix.
• SequenceConfig::padLength(int $length) — configure zero-padding for the numeric part.
• SequenceConfig::format(string|Closure $format) — configure either a custom output template with ? or a callback formatter that receives the padded numeric part.
• SequenceConfig::range(int $min, ?int $max = null) — set min/max bounds.
• SequenceConfig::bounded(int $min, int $max) — range + throw on overflow.
• SequenceConfig::cyclingRange(int $min, int $max) — range + cycle on overflow.
• SequenceConfig::cycle() — wrap to min when max is reached.
• SequenceConfig::throwOnOverflow() — throw when max is reached (default).
• Call ->next(): string to reserve and return the next sequence value.

Example:

Example with direct fluent range configuration:

Example with config callback:

Note: config() is optional. The fluent sequence() builder forwards configuration methods to the underlying SequenceConfig, so you can chain methods like range(), bounded(), groupBy(), or format() directly. Use config() when you prefer an explicit callback or need to work with SequenceConfig itself.

Concurrency and transactions

• Always call generation inside DB::transaction().
• The package uses SELECT ... FOR UPDATE to lock the row that stores last_number for a given (name, group_by).
• Keep transactions short to reduce lock contention.
• If you configured a custom connection in config/sequence.php, make sure to use that same connection for the surrounding transaction.
• When using HasSequence, the package will use the model's connection by default (unless sequence.connection is configured).
• When using the sequence() helper, the package uses sequence.connection if set; otherwise it uses the default connection. Use DB::connection('name')->transaction(...) to match.
• Ensure your database engine supports row-level locking in transactions (e.g., InnoDB on MySQL).

Range and overflow

The package supports min/max ranges via range(), bounded(), and cyclingRange() on the fluent sequence() builder, or the same methods on SequenceConfig when configuring model sequences.

• range($min, $max) sets the allowed range (inclusive). The default overflow behavior is to throw a SequenceOverflowException when max is reached.
• bounded($min, $max) is a convenience wrapper that sets the range and keeps the default "fail" overflow behavior.
• cyclingRange($min, $max) wraps back to min when max is reached.

Notes:

• min is inclusive and can be 0. max is inclusive and must be at least 1.
• If the next number exceeds the pad length, it is returned as-is (no truncation).
• Grouping affects the counter scope, not the rendered output.

Example (throw on overflow):

Example (cycle back to min):

See the error handling section below for a SequenceOverflowException catch example. Consult the config API in src/Support/SequenceConfig.php for exact methods and options.

Customization (Config)

After publishing the config file, you can customize:

• table: The name of the sequence counters table.
• connection: The database connection used by the sequence model (use the same connection for your surrounding transaction).
• model: The Eloquent model class for sequences. Must extend Model and use a table with name, group_by, and last_number columns.
• strict_mode: When enabled (default), validates name and group key lengths and throws clear exceptions before hitting DB errors.

Events

The package dispatches a Hatchyu\Sequence\Events\SequenceAssigned event whenever a number is reserved:

Event payload fields:

• name: internal sequence name stored in the sequences table
• rawNumber: numeric counter value before formatting
• sequenceNumber: final returned string after prefix/padding/formatting
• groupByKey: resolved group token used to scope the counter

Testing

The package includes comprehensive unit tests and concurrency regression tests.

Unit Tests

Run the test suite with Pest:

Key test files:

• tests/Unit/NextSequenceTest.php - Tests transaction enforcement, sequential increments, overflow, cycling, and custom formatting
• tests/Unit/SequenceConfigTest.php - Tests configuration creation and validation
• tests/Unit/SequenceAssignedEventTest.php - Tests event object construction
• tests/Unit/SequenceExceptionTest.php - Tests exception code assignments

Test coverage includes:

• Configuration creation with prefix and pad length
• Validation of negative pad length (throws exception)
• Validation of grouping by non-persisted models (throws exception)
• Transaction enforcement
• Sequential increments
• Custom increment steps
• Range overflow behavior
• Cycling behavior
• Custom format templates
• Custom format callbacks
• Event object construction

Concurrency Testing

For concurrency testing, use the regression script that simulates parallel processes:

This script:

• Creates multiple worker processes that generate sequence numbers simultaneously
• Verifies no duplicate numbers are generated
• Tests the concurrency safety of the package

Testing Best Practices

• Always wrap sequence number generation in DB::transaction() in tests
• Use database fixtures for consistent test data
• Test both simple sequences and grouped sequences
• Verify event dispatching in integration tests

Example test:

Error handling & troubleshooting

The package throws Hatchyu\Sequence\Exceptions\SequenceException (a RuntimeException) and a few grouped subclasses with specific error codes:

• SequenceValidationException — invalid names or group-by tokens

  • CODE_NAME_REQUIRED (400) — sequence name is empty
  • CODE_NAME_TOO_LONG (401) — sequence name exceeds length limit
  • CODE_GROUP_BY_TOKEN_TOO_LONG (402) — group-by token exceeds length limit

• SequenceTransactionException — missing DB transaction

  • CODE_TRANSACTION_NOT_INITIATED (300) — no active transaction
  • CODE_TRANSACTION_NOT_INITIATED_ON_CONNECTION (301) — no active transaction on specific connection

• SequenceConfigException — invalid configuration values

  • CODE_PAD_LENGTH_NEGATIVE (100) — pad length is negative
  • CODE_MIN_NEGATIVE (101) — min value is negative
  • CODE_MAX_TOO_SMALL (102) — max value is less than 1
  • CODE_MAX_LESS_THAN_MIN (103) — max value is less than min value
  • CODE_INVALID_MODEL_CLASS (104) — configured model class is invalid
  • CODE_FORMAT_PLACEHOLDER_MISSING (105) — format template does not contain ?

• SequenceModelException — invalid or unsaved models

  • CODE_MODEL_KEY_MUST_BE_STRING (200) — model key is not a string
  • CODE_MODEL_MUST_BE_PERSISTED (201) — model must be saved before grouping
• SequenceOverflowException — max reached while overflow strategy is FAIL
  • CODE_SEQUENCE_OVERFLOW (500) — sequence max reached

You can catch either the base class or a specific subclass depending on how granular you want the handling to be. Each exception includes a specific error code for programmatic handling.

Example:

Common troubleshooting

• "Not in transaction" exception: ensure sequence() runs inside DB::transaction().
• Duplicate numbers under concurrency: check that your DB supports SELECT ... FOR UPDATE on the used engine and that transactions are used.
• Counter did not reset for a new year/month/day: add groupBy(...); changing only prefix or format does not create a new counter scope.
• Group key not visible in the generated string: add it to the prefix or format() output yourself; groupBy() only scopes the counter.

FAQ

Does this package require a database transaction?

Yes. This package intentionally requires a database transaction to guarantee correctness under concurrency. It will throw a SequenceTransactionException if sequence generation runs outside an active transaction.

Why not just use max() + 1?

Because max() + 1 is not safe under concurrency. Two requests can read the same current maximum and generate the same next value. This package avoids that by using row-level locking inside a transaction.

Does prefix() or format() reset the counter?

No. prefix() and format() only change the rendered output. If you need separate counters per year, tenant, branch, or day, use groupBy(...) or the date grouping helpers.

Can I use this with Eloquent models?

Yes. Add the HasSequence trait and return a SequenceColumnCollection from sequenceColumns(). Your model creation flow still needs to run inside a database transaction.

Will this work for per-year or per-day numbering?

Yes, if you scope the counter with grouping. Use groupByYear(), groupByMonth(), groupByDay(), or groupBy(...) with your own keys.

Development

Running Tests

Note: the current test suite exercises the core generation logic against SQLite and includes standalone regression scripts. For production release confidence on MySQL or PostgreSQL, it is still a good idea to run one integration pass in an application that uses your target driver.

Regression Scripts

The scripts/ directory contains regression testing scripts:

Contribution

Contributions are welcome — open issues or PRs.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.