Best Practices for Storing and Displaying Height in Laravel

Table of Contents

• Understanding the Problem
• Implementing the Solution in Laravel
• Why Store in Centimeters?
• Conclusion

When building an application, especially one that involves user profiles, collecting and displaying user attributes accurately and conveniently is crucial. One common requirement is to handle users' height. Should you store it in feet and inches, centimeters, or perhaps meters? In this article, we will explore the best approach to handle height in a Laravel application. We'll discuss the common pitfalls and the most efficient and user-friendly solution.

Understanding the Problem

Storing Height Data

Height can be represented in various units, such as centimeters (cm), meters (m), feet (ft), and inches (in). This variety can cause confusion and inconsistencies if not handled correctly.

• Centimeters: Often used in many countries and a straightforward integer value.
• Meters: Less common for personal height, but can be converted easily.
• Feet and Inches: Commonly used in the United States, but involves two values and can be tricky to handle.

Note: I have seen many applications use feet and inches to display height.

Why Not Store in Feet and Inches?

Storing height directly in feet and inches might seem intuitive for users familiar with this system. However, it comes with several issues:

1. Complexity in Storage: Storing two separate values for feet and inches complicates the database schema.
2. Inconsistencies: Users might input the values inconsistently, leading to data accuracy issues.
3. Conversions: Converting between units becomes cumbersome and error-prone.

The Best Solution: Store in Centimeters, Display in Feet and Inches

Storing height in centimeters simplifies the storage and ensures consistency. You can then convert the stored value to feet and inches for display purposes. This approach combines the best of both worlds: consistent storage and user-friendly display.

Implementing the Solution in Laravel

Step 1: Migration to Store Height in Centimeters

First, update your migration to store height in centimeters. This keeps the database schema simple and allows for easy calculations.

// database/migrations/xxxx_xx_xx_create_profiles_table.php
use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;

class CreateProfilesTable extends Migration
{
    public function up()
    {
        Schema::create('profiles', function (Blueprint $table) {
            $table->id();
            $table->integer('height_cm')->nullable(); // Store height in centimeters
            $table->timestamps();
        });
    }

    public function down()
    {
        Schema::dropIfExists('profiles');
    }
}

Step 2: Updating the Model

Next, let's update the Profile model to include an accessor for converting height from centimeters to feet and inches.

// app/Models/Profile.php
namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;

class Profile extends Model
{
    use HasFactory;

    protected $fillable = [
        'height_cm',
    ];

    // Accessor to convert height in cm to feet and inches
    public function getHeightAttribute()
    {
        $heightCm = $this->height_cm;
        $inches = $heightCm / 2.54;
        $feet = floor($inches / 12);
        $inches = round($inches % 12);

        return "{$feet}' {$inches}\"";
    }
}

Step 3: Collecting Height Data

When creating forms to collect height data from users, ensure the input is in centimeters. This avoids confusion and maintains consistency.

<!-- resources/views/profiles/create.blade.php -->
<form action="{{ route('profiles.store') }}" method="POST">
    @csrf
    <label for="height_cm">Height (cm):</label>
    <input type="number" id="height_cm" name="height_cm" required>
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

Step 4: Displaying Height in Feet and Inches

With the accessor in place, displaying the height in feet and inches is straightforward. The accessor automatically converts the stored value when accessed.

<!-- resources/views/profiles/show.blade.php -->

<p>Height: {{ $profile->height }}</p>

This will output the height in the format 5' 6", making it user-friendly while keeping the backend storage consistent.

Why Store in Centimeters?

Storing height in centimeters provides several benefits:

• Uniformity: A single unit of measurement avoids conversion errors.
• Simplicity: Storing as an integer simplifies database operations.
• Flexibility: Easy to convert to other units (feet/inches, meters) for display.

Handling Edge Cases

• Rounding Issues: Use round to handle fractional inches correctly.
• Null Values: Ensure the height is nullable to handle profiles without height data.

Improving User Experience

• Validation: Add validation to ensure the height is within a reasonable range.
• Helper Text: Guide users to input height in centimeters.

// Validation for reasonable height range
$request->validate([
    'height_cm' => 'nullable|integer|min:30|max:300',
]);

Conclusion

Handling user height data efficiently and accurately involves more than just choosing a unit of measurement. By storing height in centimeters and converting it to feet and inches for display, you can ensure data consistency and provide a user-friendly experience. This approach simplifies backend storage while accommodating users' preferences for display.

Whether you're just starting with Laravel or have some experience under your belt, implementing this strategy will enhance your application's data handling and user interface. Feel free to adapt these practices to suit your project's needs and ensure a smooth experience for your users.

Happy coding!