Add native JSON column type support for SQL Server 2025+ (Fixes #57965)

src/Illuminate/Database/Schema/Grammars/SqlServerGrammar.php

@@ -749,6 +749,12 @@ protected function typeEnum(Fluent $column)
      */
     protected function typeJson(Fluent $column)
     {
+        $version = $this->connection->getServerVersion();
+
+        if (version_compare($version, '2025', '>=')) {
+            return 'json';
+        }
+
         return 'nvarchar(max)';
     }
 
@@ -760,7 +766,7 @@ protected function typeJson(Fluent $column)
      */
     protected function typeJsonb(Fluent $column)
     {
-        return 'nvarchar(max)';
+        return $this->typeJson($column);
     }
 
     /**

tests/Database/SqlServerBuilderTest.php

@@ -43,4 +43,36 @@ public function testDropDatabaseIfExists()
 
         $builder->dropDatabaseIfExists('my_temporary_database_b');
     }
+
+    public function testItUsesNativeJsonTypeForSqlServer2025Plus()
+    {
+        // Mockery is already aliased as 'm' at the top of the file.
+        $connection = m::mock(Connection::class);
+        $grammar = new SqlServerGrammar($connection);
+
+        // CRITICAL: Mock the internal connection method to return the version supporting the feature.
+        $connection->shouldReceive('getServerVersion')->once()->andReturn('2025.0.0');
+        // Mock table prefix if needed by the Grammar methods you touch.
+        $connection->shouldReceive('getTablePrefix')->andReturn('');
+
+        $column = new \Illuminate\Support\Fluent(['name' => 'data', 'type' => 'json']);
+
+        // Assert that the Grammar returns the native JSON type.
+        $this->assertEquals('json', $grammar->typeJson($column));
+    }
+
+    public function testItFallsBackToNvarcharMaxForSqlServerPre2025()
+    {
+        $connection = m::mock(Connection::class);
+        $grammar = new SqlServerGrammar($connection);
+
+        // CRITICAL: Mock the internal connection method to return an older version.
+        $connection->shouldReceive('getServerVersion')->once()->andReturn('2019.0.0');
+        $connection->shouldReceive('getTablePrefix')->andReturn('');
+
+        $column = new \Illuminate\Support\Fluent(['name' => 'data', 'type' => 'json']);
+
+        // Assert that the Grammar falls back to the old nvarchar(max) type.
+        $this->assertEquals('nvarchar(max)', $grammar->typeJson($column));
+    }
 }