Laravel Multiple Database Connection Example

Laravel 10/8/7 multiple database connection; through this tutorial, i am going to show you how to connect databases in laravel 7/8/9 apps.

Laravel Multiple Database Connection Example

Follow the following steps to connect multiple database in laravel 7/8/9 apps; is as follows:

• Without .env Database Connection
• With .env Database Connection
• Custom Connection In Migration
• Custom Connection In Model
• Custom Connection In Controller
• Custom Connection with Query Builder
• Conclusion

Without .env Database Connection

Visit to “config / database.php” directory and set up database connection; is as follows:

<?php
return => [
    'connections' => [
        // Default database connection
        'mysql' => [
            'driver' => 'mysql',
            'host' => env('DB_HOST', '127.0.0.1'),
            'port' => env('DB_PORT', '3306'),
            'database' => env('DB_DATABASE', 'forge'),
            'username' => env('DB_USERNAME', 'forge'),
            'password' => env('DB_PASSWORD', ''),
            'unix_socket' => env('DB_SOCKET', ''),
            'charset' => 'utf8mb4',
            'collation' => 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci',
            'prefix' => '',
            'strict' => true,
            'engine' => null,
        ],
        // Custom new database connection
        'mysql2' => [
            'driver' => 'mysql',
            'host' => 'localhost',
            'port' => '3306',
            'database' => 'lara_multiple',
            'username' => 'root',
            'password' => '',
            'unix_socket' => '',
            'charset' => 'utf8mb4',
            'collation' => 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci',
            'prefix' => '',
            'strict' => true,
            'engine' => null,
        ],
    ]
]

With .env Database Connection

To update .env file using the below code; is as follows:

DB_CONNECTION_SECOND=mysql
DB_HOST_SECOND=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT_SECOND=3306
DB_DATABASE_SECOND=multi_lara
DB_USERNAME_SECOND=root
DB_PASSWORD_SECOND=

To set the database credential in your project .env file and then update your “config/database.php” with the following code:

<?php
return => [
    'connections' => [
        // Custom database connection
        'mysql2' => [
            'driver'    => env('DB_CONNECTION_SECOND'),
            'host'      => env('DB_HOST_SECOND'),
            'port'      => env('DB_PORT_SECOND'),
            'database'  => env('DB_DATABASE_SECOND'),
            'username'  => env('DB_USERNAME_SECOND'),
            'password'  => env('DB_PASSWORD_SECOND'),
            ...
        ],
    ]
]

Custom Connection in Migration

Create custom connection in your migration; is as follows:

<?php
...
public function up()
{
    Schema::connection('mysql2')->create('multipost', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->increments('id');
        $table->string('post_title');
        $table->string('post_content');
        $table->timestamps();
    });
}
...

Open your terminal and go to your project root directory, After that run the below command for executing our migrations for the specific database connection.

php artisan migrate --database=mysql2

If you found any error when we execute the migrate command. So that time you can clear your config cache, we will provide the command below:

This command fixed your issue;

php artisan config:cache

Custom Connection In Model

To set the “$connection” variable in your model. So use the below code for that:

<?php
class SomeModel extends Eloquent {
    protected $connection = 'mysql2';
}

Custom Connection In Controller

To define the connection in your controller using the “setConnection” method; is as follows:

<?php
class xyzController extends BaseController
{
    public function someMethod()
    {
        $someModel = new SomeModel;
        $someModel->setConnection('mysql2');
        $something = $someModel->find(1);
        return $something;
    }
}

Custom Connection with Query Builder

You can also define a connection on the query builder.

DB::connection('mysql2')->select(...)->(...);

Conclusion

In this article, you have successfully created multiple database connections with the .env file and without using the .env file.

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