Automate Laravel 11 casts() Method Upgrade with Rector

Use Rector to automatically refactor legacy protected $casts array properties into the modern casts() method across your entire Laravel codebase.

Laravel 11 introduced the casts() method on Eloquent models, allowing fluent cast definitions, class references, and method calls inside model classes.

Rector automates converting legacy protected $casts properties to the new method:

1) app/Models/Post.php

- protected $casts = [
-     'tags' => 'array',
-     'published_at' => 'datetime',
-     'is_featured' => FeaturedStatus::class,
- ];

+ protected function casts(): array
+ {
+     return [
+         'tags' => 'array',
+         'published_at' => 'datetime',
+         'is_featured' => FeaturedStatus::class,
+     ];
+ }

• Runs across hundreds of models in seconds during framework upgrades
• Enables calling static methods directly inside cast definitions (e.g. AsEnumCollection::of(...))
• Eliminates typos in array property names