README

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 bulletproof, transaction-safe sequence generator. Using precise row-level database locking (SELECT ... FOR UPDATE), this package 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 numbers, or add the HasSequence trait to models to auto-assign a column on creating.

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:

composer require hatchyu/laravel-sequence

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

php artisan migrate

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

php artisan vendor:publish --tag=config --provider="Hatchyu\\Sequence\\SequenceServiceProvider"

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

php artisan vendor:publish --tag=sequence-migrations --provider="Hatchyu\\Sequence\\SequenceServiceProvider"

Tables

The package creates a sequences table which stores the current last_number per (name, group_by) tuple. The group_by column is a string token generated from the configured groupBy values (multiple values/models are joined with _).

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. 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", ...):

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;

$value = DB::transaction(function () {
    return sequence('sequence_number')->next();
});

// returns "1", then "2", etc.

2) Prefix and pad length

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

$value = DB::transaction(function () {
    return sequence('category_code')
        ->prefix('C')
        ->padLength(3)
        ->next(); // "C001"
});

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():

$first = DB::transaction(fn () => sequence('batch')->step(5)->next());  // "1"
$second = DB::transaction(fn () => sequence('batch')->step(5)->next()); // "6"
$third = DB::transaction(fn () => sequence('batch')->step(5)->next());  // "11"

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:

$value = DB::transaction(function () {
    return sequence('batch_code')
        ->prefix(date('Y'))
        ->padLength(2)
        ->next();
});

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:

$value = DB::transaction(function () {
    return sequence('batch_code')
        ->prefix(date('Y'))
        ->padLength(2)
        ->groupByYear()
        ->next();
});

// 202601, 202602, ... then 202701, 202702, ...

3b) Custom format templates

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

use Hatchyu\Sequence\Support\SequenceConfig;

$value = DB::transaction(function () {
    return sequence('invoice')
        ->format('INV/' . date('Ymd') . '/?')
        ->padLength(4)
        ->next();
});

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:

use Illuminate\Support\Str;

$value = DB::transaction(function () {
    return sequence('tickets')
        ->padLength(4)
        ->format(fn (string $number): string => "TIC-{$number}-" . Str::random(3))
        ->next();
});

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:

$value = DB::transaction(function () {
    return sequence('invoice')
        ->groupByDay()
        ->format('INV/' . date('Ymd') . '/?')
        ->padLength(4)
        ->next();
});
// INV/20260318/0001, INV/20260318/0002, then INV/20260319/0001, INV/20260319/0002, ...

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:

// When generating directly with multiple group keys
DB::transaction(function () use ($branchId, $year) {
    return sequence('customer_code')
        ->groupBy($branchId, $year)
        ->next();
});

// When used via HasSequence, configure grouping in SequenceConfig (example below)

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():

DB::transaction(function () use ($tenant, $branch) {
    return sequence('tenant_branch_invoice')
        ->belongsTo($tenant, $branch)
        ->padLength(4)
        ->next();
});

Common recipes

Yearly reset with the year shown in the output:

DB::transaction(fn () => sequence('batch_code_grouped_by_year')
    ->prefix(date('Y'))
    ->padLength(2)
    ->groupByYear()
    ->next()
);
// 202601, 202602, ... then 202701, 202702, ...

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

DB::transaction(function () {
    return sequence('invoice_tenant_branch_year_wise')
        ->padLength(2)
        ->groupBy(1, 2, date('Y'))
        ->next();
});

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

DB::transaction(fn () => sequence('daily_invoice')
    ->groupByDay()
    ->format('INV/' . date('Ymd') . '/?')
    ->padLength(4)
    ->next()
);
// INV/20260318/0001, INV/20260318/0002, then INV/20260319/0001

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:

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Hatchyu\Sequence\Traits\HasSequence;
use Hatchyu\Sequence\Support\SequenceConfig;
use Hatchyu\Sequence\Support\SequenceColumnCollection;

class CustomerProfile extends Model
{
    use HasSequence;

    protected function sequenceColumns(): SequenceColumnCollection
    {
        return SequenceColumnCollection::collection()
            ->column(
                'customer_code',
                SequenceConfig::create()
                    ->prefix('CU')
                    ->padLength(3)
                    // optional: make sequence per-branch (or per branch+year, etc.)
                    ->groupBy($this->branch_id)
            );
    }
}

Behavior notes for trait usage:

The sequence type name is derived from the model class + 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.
If the column already has a non-empty value, the trait will not overwrite it.

Example with a custom format on a model column:

protected function sequenceColumns(): SequenceColumnCollection
{
    return SequenceColumnCollection::collection()
        ->column(
            'invoice_number',
            SequenceConfig::create()
                ->groupByDay()
                ->format('INV/' . date('Ymd') . '/?')
                ->padLength(4)
        );
}

Multiple columns example:

protected function sequenceColumns(): SequenceColumnCollection
{
    return SequenceColumnCollection::collection()
        ->column(
            'admission_number',
            SequenceConfig::create()
                ->prefix('ADM')
                ->padLength(3)
        )
        ->column(
            'attendance_number',
            SequenceConfig::create()
                ->groupBy($this->tenantId(), $this->academic_year, $this->class_id)
        );
}

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 ->config(fn (SequenceConfig $config) => ...) to customize the configuration (min/max range, grouping, prefix, etc.).
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:

$next = sequence('orders')
    ->prefix('ORD-')
    ->padLength(6)
    ->groupBy($customerId, date('Y'))
    ->next();

Example with config callback:

use Hatchyu\Sequence\Support\SequenceConfig;

$next = sequence('range_test')
    ->padLength(2)
    ->config(function (SequenceConfig $config) {
        $config->range(1, 7)
            ->groupByYear();
    })
    ->next();

Note: config() is just a convenience. You can still chain groupBy() or other methods before/after it.

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 SequenceConfig::range(), SequenceConfig::bounded(), and SequenceConfig::cyclingRange().

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):

DB::transaction(fn () => sequence('orders')
    ->prefix('ORD-')
    ->padLength(4)
    ->config(fn (SequenceConfig $c) => $c->bounded(1, 9999))
    ->next()
);
// ORD-0001, ORD-0002, ... ORD-9999, then throws SequenceOverflowException

Example (cycle back to min):

DB::transaction(fn () => sequence('sessions')
    ->config(fn (SequenceConfig $c) => $c->cyclingRange(1, 10))
    ->next()
);
// 1, 2, 3, ... 10, 1, 2, ...

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:

use Hatchyu\Sequence\Events\SequenceAssigned;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Event;

Event::listen(SequenceAssigned::class, function (SequenceAssigned $event) {
    // $event->name, $event->rawNumber, $event->sequenceNumber, $event->groupByKey
});

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:

./vendor/bin/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:

php scripts/regression_concurrency.php

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:

use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
use Hatchyu\Sequence\Events\SequenceAssigned;

uses(RefreshDatabase::class);

it('generates sequential sequence numbers', function () {
    $value1 = DB::transaction(fn() => sequence('test')->next());
    $value2 = DB::transaction(fn() => sequence('test')->next());

    expect($value1)->toBe('1');
    expect($value2)->toBe('2');
});

it('dispatches sequence number assigned event', function () {
    Event::fake();

    DB::transaction(fn() => sequence('test')->next());

    Event::assertDispatched(SequenceAssigned::class);
});

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:

use Hatchyu\Sequence\Exceptions\SequenceException;
use Hatchyu\Sequence\Exceptions\SequenceOverflowException;
use Hatchyu\Sequence\Exceptions\SequenceTransactionException;

try {
    DB::transaction(fn () => sequence('orders')->next());
} catch (SequenceOverflowException $e) {
    // max reached and overflow strategy is FAIL
    throw $e;
} catch (SequenceTransactionException $e) {
    if ($e->getCode() === SequenceTransactionException::CODE_TRANSACTION_NOT_INITIATED) {
        // handle missing transaction specifically
    }
    throw $e;
} catch (SequenceException $e) {
    // handle any other sequence error
    throw $e;
}

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.

Development

Running Tests

# Run all tests
./vendor/bin/pest

# Run specific test file
./vendor/bin/pest tests/Unit/SequenceConfigTest.php

# Run with coverage
./vendor/bin/pest --coverage

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:

# Test first number generation
php scripts/regression_first_number.php

# Test concurrency with multiple processes (requires pcntl extension)
php scripts/regression_concurrency.php

Contribution

Contributions are welcome — open issues or PRs.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.

hatchyu / laravel-sequence

Maintainers

Package info

Statistics

Security

README

Requirements

Installation

Tables

Usage

Mental model

1) Simple sequential numbers

2) Prefix and pad length

2b) Custom increment step

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

3b) Custom format templates

3c) Custom format callbacks

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

Common recipes

5) Auto-assign on Eloquent models (`HasSequence`)

API reference

Concurrency and transactions

Range and overflow

Customization (Config)

Events

Testing

Unit Tests

Concurrency Testing

Testing Best Practices

Error handling & troubleshooting

Common troubleshooting

Development

Running Tests

Regression Scripts

Contribution

License

hatchyu / laravel-sequence

Maintainers

Package info

Statistics

Security

README

Requirements

Installation

Tables

Usage

Mental model

1) Simple sequential numbers

2) Prefix and pad length

2b) Custom increment step

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

3b) Custom format templates

3c) Custom format callbacks

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

Common recipes

5) Auto-assign on Eloquent models (HasSequence)

API reference

Concurrency and transactions

Range and overflow

Customization (Config)

Events

Testing

Unit Tests

Concurrency Testing

Testing Best Practices

Error handling & troubleshooting

Common troubleshooting

Development

Running Tests

Regression Scripts

Contribution

License

5) Auto-assign on Eloquent models (`HasSequence`)