Nova Field Date Picker Laravel Package

Getting Started

• Install with composer require <vendor>/<package> and run php artisan vendor:publish --tag=<package>-config if the package ships a config file.
• Look first at the package’s service provider and config file to understand default date formats, timezone handling, and any conditional “whens” registration.
• First use case: format an Eloquent model timestamp with a conditional rule, e.g. DateFormatter::for($model->created_at)->when($isRelative)->relative()->format(). Confirm the output in php artisan tinker before wiring it into a Blade view or API resource.

Implementation Patterns

• Use the package in model accessors or casts so formatting stays consistent across controllers, resources, and views.
• For conditional formatting, define reusable “whens” in a dedicated formatter class or config array rather than scattering conditionals in templates.
• In Blade, prefer a helper or directive over raw PHP calls; this keeps view logic declarative and testable.
• In API resources, apply the formatter at the resource layer to avoid leaking presentation rules into models.
• Pair with Laravel’s Date::fake() or Carbon test helpers to assert conditional formatting branches, especially after the v1.0.2 date-format fix.
• If the package exposes extension points (custom format resolvers or macros), register them in a service provider’s boot() method.

Gotchas and Tips

• v1.0.2 fixes a date-format issue in “whens” updates. If you rely on conditional date formatting, upgrade and re-run tests that cover when() branches—previous output may have silently used the wrong format.
• Conditional “whens” are evaluated in order; ensure the first matching condition is the intended one, or use explicit priorities if supported.
• Watch timezone drift: confirm whether the package formats in the app timezone or UTC, and set app.timezone consistently before formatting.
• If config is cached (php artisan config:cache), re-cache after changing default formats or whens.
• Debug conditional branches by dumping the resolved format before rendering; a wrong when predicate often looks like a formatting bug.
• Check the changelog for future minor releases—this patch suggests the package is actively maintained, but date-format behavior can be sensitive to Laravel/Carbon version bumps.