Why is Integer and decimal casts important in Laravel applications, and what problem does it solve for developers?

Why is Integer and decimal casts important in Laravel applications, and what problem does it solve for developers? The key reason to understand integer and decimal casts is that Laravel applications are usually composed of several layers that must work together predictably. Numeric casts help keep application-level types consistent when database values are strings or decimal representations. Ignoring that boundary can lead to duplicated logic, poor security, unnecessary database work, or code that is difficult to test. Why it matters in practice: Eloquent attribute casting converts selected model attributes into useful PHP types or structures when models are read and written. The specific focus here is integer and decimal casts: Numeric casts help keep application-level types consistent when database values are strings or decimal representations. This question is designed to test not only terminology, but also how the concept fits into Laravel's request, application, database, security, or deployment workflow.