🔢 Stop Using Magic Numbers in Code — Use Constants for Clarity and Maintainability
Magic Numbers Are Killing Your Code — Here’s How to Fix It in Laravel
When building applications in Laravel, making your code work is only the first step — keeping it clean and maintainable is what really matters in the long run. One of the easiest mistakes developers make, even experienced ones, is relying on magic numbers — hard-coded values scattered throughout the code.
They might feel like a quick fix, but as your project grows, those numbers turn into confusion, slow down debugging, and make future updates painful. Picture opening your Laravel project months later and seeing values like 7, 365, or 5000 with no explanation — were they IDs, limits, or timeouts? This is the trap of magic numbers. By replacing them with clear constants, you instantly give meaning to your values, improve readability, and write code that feels professional and easy to maintain.
⏳ “Magic numbers save seconds now, but cost hours later.”
Ever looked at a piece of code and thought:
if ($user->role_id === 3) {
// do something
}At first glance, you might understand the logic. But two weeks later, or when another developer joins the project, the question arises:
👉 “What does 3 even mean here?”
That’s the danger of magic numbers — numeric (or string) literals sprinkled throughout your code without context.
In this article, I’ll explain why magic numbers are harmful, and how using constants makes your Laravel projects more readable, maintainable, and bug-free.
🚨 The Problem with Magic Numbers
Magic numbers are values used directly in code without explanation. They may work in the short term, but they create confusion and technical debt in the long run.
Why they’re bad:
❓ Lack of clarity: Nobody knows what
3or7represents.🔄 Hard to update: If you need to change the value, you’ll have to hunt down every occurrence.
🐛 Prone to bugs: Copy-paste errors and inconsistent values creep in.
🧑🤝🧑 Poor collaboration: New developers on the team will struggle to understand the code.
Let’s look at a quick example:
// Controller
public function store(Request $request)
{
// 365 represents subscription days, but it’s unclear
$expiryDate = now()->addDays(365);
// 2 represents user type (e.g., admin), but nobody knows that by just looking at it
if ($request->user_type == 2) {
// do something for admin
}
}At first glance, this code works. But if someone new joins your team — or if you revisit it months later — it’s not clear what 365 or 2 mean. You’ll waste time figuring it out.
✅ The Solution: Use Constants
Here’s the same code refactored with constants:
// constants.php (or config / enums in Laravel)
const SUBSCRIPTION_VALIDITY_DAYS = 365;
const USER_TYPE_ADMIN = 2;
// Controller
public function store(Request $request)
{
$expiryDate = now()->addDays(SUBSCRIPTION_VALIDITY_DAYS);
if ($request->user_type == USER_TYPE_ADMIN) {
// do something for admin
}
}Now, your code is self-explanatory. Anyone can understand what those values mean at a glance.
⚙️ Managing Constants in Laravel Projects
There are multiple ways to manage constants in a Laravel project and which approach you choose depends on project size, maintainability, and usage scope.:
🔹 1. Using config/ Files (Best for Large Projects)
Laravel encourages keeping constants inside config files since they are cached and easily accessible.
👉 Example: create a file config/constants.php
<?php
return [
'ROLES' => [
'ADMIN' => 'admin',
'USER' => 'user',
'MANAGER' => 'manager',
],
'STATUS' => [
'ACTIVE' => 1,
'INACTIVE' => 0,
],
'CURRENCY' => 'USD',
];Usage:
// Anywhere in your code
$role = config('constants.ROLES.ADMIN');
$status = config('constants.STATUS.ACTIVE');✅ When to use?
Large projects with many constants.
When you want to change values without touching the codebase (just config).
Works perfectly with config caching (
php artisan config:cache).
🔹 2. Using PHP Class Constants (For Domain-Specific Values)
Create a Constants class or multiple domain-specific classes.
👉 Example: app/Constants/UserRoles.php
<?php
namespace App\Constants;
class UserRoles
{
public const ADMIN = 'admin';
public const USER = 'user';
public const MANAGER = 'manager';
}Usage:
use App\Constants\UserRoles;
if ($user->role === UserRoles::ADMIN) {
// Do something
}✅ When to use?
Constants are tied to a domain entity (like roles, statuses).
You want strict namespacing and static analysis support.
🔹 3. Using PHP Enums (Laravel 9+ & PHP 8.1+)
PHP 8.1 introduced Enums, which are much cleaner than class constants for predefined values.
👉 Example: app/Enums/OrderStatus.php
<?php
namespace App\Enums;
enum OrderStatus: string
{
case PENDING = 'pending';
case COMPLETED = 'completed';
case CANCELED = 'canceled';
}Usage:
use App\Enums\OrderStatus;
$order->status = OrderStatus::PENDING->value;
if ($order->status === OrderStatus::COMPLETED->value) {
// ...
}✅ When to use?
Laravel 9+ with PHP 8.1+.
Best for status codes, roles, types where the value set is strictly limited.
🎯 Best Practices for Constants in Laravel
✔️ Use meaningful names → MAX_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS is better than 5.
✔️ Group related constants → Don’t mix user roles with timeout values.
✔️ Keep them DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) → Define once, use everywhere.
✔️ Use Enums where possible → Cleaner and type-safe.
🏆 Benefits of Replacing Magic Numbers
✅ Readability → Your code tells a story without extra comments.
✅ Maintainability → Change the constant in one place, and it reflects everywhere.
✅ Collaboration → Team members instantly understand what values mean.
✅ Bug Prevention → No risk of mismatched or forgotten values.
🎁 Wrapping Up
Magic numbers might feel convenient in the moment, but they become costly as your project grows. By replacing them with constants, you write code that is clean, maintainable, and professional.
Next time you’re tempted to hard-code a number, stop and ask:
👉 “Will I (or my team) understand this six months from now?”
If the answer is no, make it a constant.
Your future self — and your teammates — will thank you.