[Video] Laravel $request->integer() vs input(): Type Casting: Practical Examples

This tutorial is available in both video format above, and in the text article below.

In Laravel Controllers, we often call $request->input() method, right? But also, there are specific methods for strict types: $request->integer(), $request->boolean(), and others. What is the real benefit of using them? Let me explain, with examples.

The main thing is that $request->input() always returns string. Even for numbers, booleans, dates, etc. This causes type mismatches that break strict comparisons, crash foreach loops, and send inconsistent data to your front-end.

Let's look at each of the type-strict methods, and what real bugs may happen if we don't use them.

1. $request->integer()

By default, Laravel's input() method returns string values, not integers, even when the parameter looks like a number:

// URL: /products?page=5
$page = $request->input('page'); // Returns "5" (string), not 5 (integer)

This behavior can lead to critical issues that often go unnoticed until production. One example is with APIs returning strings, confusing frontend code:

// URL: /blog?page=5
$page = $request->input('page', 1); // Returns "5" (string)
return response()->json([
    'current_page' => $page,  // String "5" in JSON
    'per_page' => 10,         // Integer 10 in JSON
]);

The Problem: Frontend JavaScript receives inconsistent types:

// Response: {"current_page": "5", "per_page": 10}
if (data.current_page === 5) { // False! "5" !== 5
    // Never executes
}

2. $request->date()

When having a date from a request, you can cast it to an Illuminate\Support\Carbon using the date() method. For example, when registering, you need to verify the user's age.

In the frontend, you have a date input:

<input name="birthdate" type="date" placeholder="YYYY-MM-DD" required />

To work with the date, you need to parse it manually into a Carbon instance.

$birthdate = \Illuminate\Support\Carbon::parse($request->date('birthdate'));

Instead, you can let Laravel...