Digittext Laravel Package

Getting Started

• Install with Composer (composer require <vendor>/<package>) and let Laravel package discovery register the service provider/facade. Check the Composer constraints before upgrading across major versions.
• Publish the config file (php artisan vendor:publish --tag=<package-config>) and review the defaults for locale, precision, decimal/group separators, and leading-zero/first-group behaviour.
• Confirm ext-intl is available if the package relies on ICU number formatting, and make sure config('app.locale') matches the locale you expect for display.
• First use case: format a stored numeric value for the UI. For example, turn 1234.5 into 1.234,50 for German or 1,234.50 for English using the package’s formatter/facade/helper, then render it in a Blade view or API resource instead of calling number_format() directly.

Implementation Patterns

• Centralise display formatting. Use the package formatter in Blade components, API resources, and presenters so locale, grouping, and precision stay consistent across the app.
• Pass locale explicitly. Resolve the user’s locale per request (or from app()->getLocale()) and pass it to the formatter; don’t rely on the server’s default locale.
• Separate storage from presentation. Keep raw numeric values in the database and model attributes, and format only at the view/API boundary. Avoid storing formatted strings.
• Set precision by context. Use config defaults for general display, but override per call for money (2 decimals), counts (0), or measurements (3), so one screen doesn’t accidentally round another.
• Normalise localized input. If users can submit numbers with local group/decimal separators, parse and normalise to a raw numeric value before validation and persistence.
• Test locale output. Add assertions for en and de plus edge cases: zero with a fractional part, values below 1, large grouped numbers, and trailing-zero precision.
• Upgrade within 5.x. 5.0.2 is a patch release; update and re-run tests to pick up the German localization and fractional-precision fixes.

Gotchas and Tips

• 5.0.2 specifically fixes fractional/precision behaviour. It addresses German locale number output, always showing the first group, precision on fractional parts, zero with a fractional part, and loss of digits on fractional parts. If you previously saw .5 instead of 0.5 or truncated decimals, upgrade and add regression tests.
• Precision is display, not storage. Don’t use formatted output for calculations; keep calculations on raw values and format only at render time.
• Watch locale fallbacks. Confirm whether the formatter uses app.locale or a package-specific default. German formatting (. grouping, , decimal) is a common source of mismatches.
• Leading-zero behaviour changed with the first-group fix. If your tests or front-end snapshots expected .5, update them to 0.5 after upgrading.
• Clear config caches. After changing package config, run php artisan config:clear locally and config:cache in production.
• Debug against NumberFormatter. If output looks wrong, compare with PHP’s NumberFormatter/ICU directly to determine whether the issue is package config or the intl data version.
• Use extension points rather than forking. Prefer package-provided macros, custom formatters/parsers, or service bindings for custom locale or formatting rules; re-check diffs if you vendor patches, since 5.0.2 removed unused files and license blocks.
• Major-version caution. Patch releases like 5.0.2 should be safe, but if you’re coming from 4.x, read the 5.x upgrade guide for breaking changes before updating.