Is it advisable to use an actual ENUM in Laravel migration for PostgreSQL instead of simulating a check constraint?

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It is advisable to use an actual ENUM in Laravel migration for PostgreSQL instead of simulating a check constraint for the following reasons:

1. Performance: Using an ENUM provides faster query execution because PostgreSQL stores ENUM as integers internally, which uses less disk space and memory than simulating a check constraint.

2. Type Safety: Using an ENUM provides type safety, which means only allowed values can be inserted into the column. It prevents invalid values from being accidentally inserted into the database.

3. Readability: Using an ENUM makes the code more readable and self-explanatory. It clearly indicates what values are allowed in the column and makes it easier for developers to understand the database schema.

4. Portability: Using an actual ENUM makes the code more portable because other databases (e.g. MySQL, Oracle) also support ENUMs, which means the code can be easily migrated to other databases without significant modifications.

Overall, using an actual ENUM in Laravel migration for PostgreSQL is a better approach than simulating a check constraint because it provides better performance, type safety, readability, and portability.