laravel/framework · error · InvalidArgumentException

Non-numeric value passed as decrement amount for column: '$c

Error message

Non-numeric value passed as decrement amount for column: '$column'.

What it means

Thrown by decrementEach when one of the per-column amounts fails is_numeric(). decrementEach iterates an associative column => amount map and validates each amount, naming the offending column. It is the multi-column analogue of the single decrement guard.

Source

Thrown at src/Illuminate/Database/Query/Builder.php:4492

        }

        return $this->decrementEach([$column => $amount], $extra);
    }

    /**
     * Decrement the given column's values by the given amounts.
     *
     * @param  array<string, float|int|numeric-string>  $columns
     * @param  array<string, mixed>  $extra
     * @return int<0, max>
     *
     * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
     */
    public function decrementEach(array $columns, array $extra = [])
    {
        foreach ($columns as $column => $amount) {
            if (! is_numeric($amount)) {
                throw new InvalidArgumentException("Non-numeric value passed as decrement amount for column: '$column'.");
            } elseif (! is_string($column)) {
                throw new InvalidArgumentException('Non-associative array passed to decrementEach method.');
            }

            $columns[$column] = $this->raw("{$this->grammar->wrap($column)} - $amount");
        }

        return $this->update(array_merge($columns, $extra));
    }

    /**
     * Delete records from the database.
     *
     * @param  mixed  $id
     * @return int
     */
    public function delete($id = null)
    {

View on GitHub (pinned to bd6b5437e6)

Solutions

1. Validate every amount: `$request->validate(['stock' => 'numeric', 'reserved' => 'numeric']);`.
2. Cast each value before building the map.
3. Use the named column in the error to pinpoint the bad key.
4. Separate free-text fields from numeric adjustment maps.

Example fix

// before
$model->decrementEach(['stock' => $req->stock, 'reserved' => $req->reserved]);
// => Non-numeric value passed as decrement amount for column: 'reserved'.

// after
$amounts = collect(['stock','reserved'])
    ->mapWithKeys(fn ($c) => [$c => (float) $request->input($c, 0)])
    ->toArray();
$model->decrementEach($amounts);

foreach ($amounts as $col => $amt) {
    if (! is_numeric($amt)) {
        throw new \InvalidArgumentException("Amount for {$col} must be numeric.");
    }
}
$model->decrementEach($amounts);

/** @param array<string, int|float|numeric-string> $a */
function allAmountsNumeric(array $a): bool
{
    return array_all($a, fn($v) => is_numeric($v));
}

// Validate the whole map before calling decrementEach; the error names the offending column.

When it happens

Trigger: `decrementEach(['stock' => $req->stock, 'reserved' => $req->r])` where one value is non-numeric. Reusing the same input map for incrementEach and decrementEach without re-validating.

Common situations: Bulk inventory adjustment endpoints; order processing that decrements several stock counters from a form; converting individual decrement() calls into decrementEach() and inheriting unvalidated inputs.

Related errors

• Non-numeric value passed to decrement method.
• Non-numeric value passed to increment method.
• Non-numeric value passed as increment amount for column: '$c
• Non-associative array passed to decrementEach method.
• A subquery must be a query builder instance, a Closure, or a

AI-assisted analysis of laravel/framework@bd6b5437e6 (2026-08-06). Data as JSON: /data/errors/a537c8dbd3f43e54.json. Report an issue: GitHub.