Acl Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation

   composer require alexdpy/acl
   

   Publish the config file (if needed):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Alexdpy\Acl\AclServiceProvider"
   

2. Basic ACL Definition Define permissions in a config file (config/acl.php):

   'permissions' => [
       'admin' => ['create_user', 'edit_user', 'delete_user'],
       'editor' => ['create_post', 'edit_post'],
       'user' => ['view_profile'],
   ],
   

3. First Use Case: Check Permission

   use Alexdpy\Acl\Facades\Acl;
   
   if (Acl::check('create_user')) {
       // User has permission
   }
   

4. Assign Roles to Users

   // In a User model or middleware
   Acl::assignRole('admin', $userId);
   

Implementation Patterns

Role-Based Workflows

• Role Assignment

  // Assign multiple roles
  Acl::assignRole(['admin', 'editor'], $userId);
  
  // Check role
  if (Acl::hasRole('admin', $userId)) {
      // Admin-specific logic
  }
  

• Permission Checks in Controllers

  public function editUser(Request $request, $id) {
      if (!Acl::check('edit_user')) {
          abort(403, 'Unauthorized action.');
      }
      // Proceed with edit logic
  }
  

Dynamic Permissions

• Runtime Permission Checks

  // Check if user has permission for a specific resource
  if (Acl::check('edit_post', ['post_id' => $post->id])) {
      // Allow edit
  }
  

• Custom Permission Logic

  // Extend with custom logic (e.g., time-based permissions)
  Acl::extend('publish_post', function ($userId, $params = []) {
      return Acl::hasRole('editor', $userId) && now()->hour >= 9;
  });
  

Integration with Laravel Features

• Middleware for Role-Based Access

  namespace App\Http\Middleware;
  
  use Closure;
  use Alexdpy\Acl\Facades\Acl;
  
  class CheckRole {
      public function handle($request, Closure $next, $role) {
          if (!Acl::hasRole($role, auth()->id())) {
              abort(403);
          }
          return $next($request);
      }
  }
  

  Register in app/Http/Kernel.php:

  'role' => \App\Http\Middleware\CheckRole::class,
  

• Policy Integration

  use Alexdpy\Acl\Facades\Acl;
  
  class PostPolicy {
      public function update(User $user, Post $post) {
          return Acl::check('edit_post', ['post_id' => $post->id]);
      }
  }
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

• No Built-in Migration Support

  • Roles and permissions are stored in memory by default. For persistence, extend the package or use a database table (e.g., acl_roles).
  • Example migration:

    Schema::create('acl_roles', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->unsignedBigInteger('user_id');
        $table->string('role');
        $table->timestamps();
    });
    

• Caching Quirks

  • Permissions are cached by default. Clear cache after role changes:

    php artisan cache:clear
    

  • Or manually:

    Acl::clearCache();
    

• No Fine-Grained Resource Ownership

  • The package lacks built-in support for checking ownership (e.g., "can edit own posts"). Implement this in policies or middleware:

    public function update(User $user, Post $post) {
        return $user->id === $post->user_id && Acl::check('edit_post');
    }
    

Debugging Tips

• Enable Logging Add to config/acl.php:

  'debug' => env('ACL_DEBUG', false),
  

  Logs will appear in storage/logs/laravel.log.

• Check Permission Logic Use Acl::getPermissions() to inspect loaded permissions:

  dd(Acl::getPermissions());
  

Extension Points

• Custom Storage Backend Override the default storage by binding a custom service:

  $this->app->bind('acl.storage', function () {
      return new \App\Services\CustomAclStorage();
  });
  

• Event Hooks Listen for role assignment events (if supported in future versions) or extend the package to dispatch events:

  // Example: Extend AclServiceProvider
  public function boot() {
      event(new RoleAssigned($userId, $role));
  }
  

• Localization Support Add localized permission names in config/acl.php:

  'permissions' => [
      'admin' => [
          'en' => ['create_user', 'edit_user'],
          'es' => ['crear_usuario', 'editar_usuario'],
      ],
  ],
  

  Then check dynamically:

  $permission = Acl::translatePermission('create_user', app()->getLocale());