What is the MySQL datatype SET equivalent in Laravel Schema?

As of now Laravel Schema Builder does not support SET datatype for columns. So, here is an alternative solution until someone add those code to Laravel.

Step 1: Create the table, use ENUM instead of SET.

Schema::create('schools', function($table)
{
    $table->increments('id');
    $table->char('id_number', 6);
    $table->string('school_name');
    $table->enum('level', array('Preschool', 'Kindergarten', 'Primary', 'Secondary'))->index(); // *** fix this
    $table->string('phone');
    $table->string('email');
    $table->string('location');
    $table->smallInteger('city')->unsigned()->index();
    $table->smallInteger('country')->unsigned()->index();
    $table->smallInteger('head_teacher')->unsigned()->index();
    $table->smallInteger('director')->unsigned()->index();
    $table->smallInteger('created_by')->unsigned();
    $table->smallInteger('modified_by')->unsigned();
    $table->timestamps();
});

Step 2: Now change ENUM to SET.

$table_prefix = DB::getTablePrefix();
DB::statement("ALTER TABLE `" . $table_prefix . "schools` CHANGE `level` `level` SET('Preschool','Kindergarten','Primary','Secondary');");

If you have a better solution, then please let me know.

Laravel 5.8 and onwards support SET datatype in migration. For latest versions, you would simply need to use set() function:

// SET equivalent column named flavors
// Allowed values: strawberry , vanilla
$table->set('flavors', ['strawberry', 'vanilla']);

Check more details at latest documentation:

• https://laravel.com/docs/master/migrations
• https://laravel.com/api/master/Illuminate/Database/Schema/Blueprint.html#method_set

Roman Nazarkin's method works almost perfectly however there is a small issue with table prefixes (which this method does not account for) it is simple however to make this suggestion work with table prefixes:

$grammar = DB::connection()->withTablePrefix(new ExtendedMySqlGrammar());
// set new grammar class
DB::connection()->setSchemaGrammar($grammar);

// get custom schema object
$schema = DB::connection()->getSchemaBuilder();

// bind new blueprint class
$schema->blueprintResolver(function($table, $callback) {
    return new ExtendedBlueprint($table, $callback);
});

// then create tables 
$schema->create('table name', function(ExtendedBlueprint $table)
{
    $table->increments('id');
    $table->text('sentence');
    $table->string('author')->nullable();
    $table->string('source')->nullable();
    $table->set('difficulty', range(1, 10)); // use our new mysql type 
    $table->boolean('enabled')->default(true);
});

Step 1. Extend default classes(add this code to your migration file after use sections):

class ExtendedBlueprint extends Blueprint {

    /**
     * Create a new set column on the table.
     *
     * @param  string  $column
     * @param  array   $allowed
     * @return \Illuminate\Support\Fluent
     */
    public function set($column, array $allowed)
    {
        return $this->addColumn('set', $column, compact('allowed'));
    }

}


class ExtendedMySqlGrammar extends Illuminate\Database\Schema\Grammars\MySqlGrammar {

    /**
     * Create the column definition for an set type.
     *
     * @param  \Illuminate\Support\Fluent  $column
     * @return string
     */
    protected function typeSet(\Illuminate\Support\Fluent $column)
    {
        return "set('".implode("', '", $column->allowed)."')";
    }

}

Step 2. Then, we need to change default grammar and blueprint classes to our custom:

// set new grammar class
DB::connection()->setSchemaGrammar(new ExtendedMySqlGrammar());

// get custom schema object
$schema = DB::connection()->getSchemaBuilder();

// bind new blueprint class
$schema->blueprintResolver(function($table, $callback) {
    return new ExtendedBlueprint($table, $callback);
});

// then create tables 
$schema->create('table name', function(ExtendedBlueprint $table)
{
    $table->increments('id');
    $table->text('sentence');
    $table->string('author')->nullable();
    $table->string('source')->nullable();
    $table->set('difficulty', range(1, 10)); // use our new mysql type 
    $table->boolean('enabled')->default(true);
});

This method will also work after composer update, because we did not edited any framework code.