Symfony Roadrunner Dumper Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require --dev alshenetsky/symfony-roadrunner-dumper "^1.0"
   

   Ensure you’re in a dev dependency context (e.g., require-dev in composer.json).

2. First Use Case: Replace any dd() calls in your Symfony/Laravel + Roadrunner app with:

   \dev\dd($yourVariable);
   

   This avoids the worker error: invalid data found in the buffer issue in Roadrunner.

3. Where to Look First:

   • Check the README for Roadrunner-specific quirks.
   • Review the Stacked Dumper Laravel for Laravel-specific adaptations (if applicable).

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflow

1. Debugging in Roadrunner:

   • Use \dev\dd() exclusively in Roadrunner-powered Symfony/Laravel apps to bypass buffer issues.
   • Example:

     // Controller/Command
     public function index() {
         $data = $this->fetchData();
         \dev\dd($data); // Works in Roadrunner
     }
     

2. Integration with Symfony Components:

   • Works seamlessly with Symfony’s VarDumper (under the hood). No config changes needed.
   • Compatible with Symfony 3.3+, 4.x, and 5.x.

3. Laravel Adaptation:

   • If using Laravel, alias \dev\dd in app/Console/Kernel.php or a service provider:

     use function Alshenetsky\SymfonyRoadrunnerDumper\dd;
     
     // Alias for convenience
     if (!function_exists('dev_dd')) {
         function dev_dd($var) { dd($var); } // Override or extend
     }
     

4. Async/Queue Debugging:

   • Dump variables in Roadrunner workers (e.g., queue jobs) without breaking output:

     // In a Roadrunner worker (e.g., queue listener)
     \dev\dd($message->payload); // Safe for async contexts
     

5. Testing:

   • Use in PHPUnit tests running under Roadrunner (e.g., Pest or Laravel’s testing suite).

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Buffer Conflicts:

   • Original dd() fails in Roadrunner because it echoes directly to STDOUT, which Roadrunner’s workers don’t handle.
   • Fix: Always use \dev\dd() in Roadrunner environments.

2. Dev vs. Prod:

   • The package is dev-only (installed via require-dev). Ensure it’s excluded from production builds.

3. Symfony Context:

   • If using Symfony Flex, autoloading should work out-of-the-box. For custom setups, verify the autoload-dev section in composer.json includes:

     "autoload-dev": {
         "psr-4": {
             "Alshenetsky\\SymfonyRoadrunnerDumper\\": "vendor/alshenetsky/symfony-roadrunner-dumper/src/"
         }
     }
     

4. Roadrunner Worker Logs:

   • Dumps appear in Roadrunner’s worker logs (not browser output). Check:

     rr get-worker-log
     

     or configure logging in rr.yaml.

Debugging Tips

1. Verify Installation:

   • Run composer dump-autoload --dev if \dev\dd is not recognized.

2. Custom Output:

   • Override the dumper’s output format by extending the underlying VarDumper:

     use Symfony\Component\VarDumper\Cloner\Data;
     use Symfony\Component\VarDumper\Dumper\CliDumper;
     
     $dumper = new CliDumper();
     $dumper->dump(new Data($yourVariable));
     

3. Performance:

   • Avoid \dev\dd() in hot paths (e.g., loops). Use sparingly in dev environments.

4. Laravel-Specific:

   • If using Laravel, ensure the dev namespace is accessible. Add to composer.json:

     "extra": {
         "laravel": {
             "providers": ["Alshenetsky\\SymfonyRoadrunnerDumper\\SymfonyRoadrunnerDumperServiceProvider"]
         }
     }
     

Extension Points

1. Custom Dumper:

   • Extend the dumper to add features (e.g., JSON output, file logging):

     namespace App\Dumper;
     
     use Alshenetsky\SymfonyRoadrunnerDumper\Dumper;
     
     class CustomDumper extends Dumper {
         public function dump($var) {
             file_put_contents('debug.log', print_r($var, true));
         }
     }
     

2. Roadrunner Config:

   • Adjust Roadrunner’s rr.yaml to handle dumps:

     server:
       command: "php bin/console"
       relay: "pipes"
     worker:
       pool:
         num_workers: 4
       # Log dumps to a file
       log: "/var/log/roadrunner/debug.log"