Laravel error: Grammar::parameterize(): Argument #1 ($values) must be of type array

Question

I have the below factory, and whenever I create the seeder data based on this factory, I get the above-titled error. Please find below the factory code. Mind you; the post_category_id has a type of unsignedBigInteger. I'm surprised it's talking about an array when all I need is a single-digit id referencing the id of the post category table. It's funny that it works when submitting a form.

Error

Illuminate\Database\Grammar::parameterize(): Argument #1 ($values) must be of type array, int given, called in

Factory

namespace Database\Factories;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory;

/**
 * @extends \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory<\App\Models\Model>
 */
class PostFactory extends Factory
{
    /**
     * Define the model's default state.
     *
     * @return array<string, mixed>
     */
    public function definition()
    {
        $tags = ['1', '2', '3', '4', '5'];

        return [
            'title' => $this->faker->unique()->words(3),
            'post_category_id' => $this->faker->numberBetween(1, 50),
            'description' => $this->faker->sentences(5),
            'tag_id' => json_encode($tags),
            'featured' => $this->faker->numberBetween(0, 1),
            'status' => 'draft',
            'image' => $this->faker->imageUrl()
        ];
    }
}

Migration

Schema::create('posts', function (Blueprint $table) {
    $table->id();
    $table->string('title')->unique()->nullable();
    $table->mediumText('description')->nullable();
    $table->unsignedBigInteger('post_category_id')->nullable();
    $table->text('tag_id')->nullable();
    $table->boolean('featured')->default(0);
    $table->enum('status', ['draft', 'published'])->nullable();
    $table->text('image')->nullable();
    $table->timestamps();
});

Answer 1

I've just got to discover that the error message is misleading. I solved the error by simply updating the code as below.

return [
            'title'            =>  $this->faker->unique()->words(3, true),
            // ...
            'description'      =>  $this->faker->sentences(5, true),
            // ...
        ];