Laravel Meta Generator Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require augustpermana/laravel-meta-generator
   

   Publish the config file:

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Augustpermana\MetaGenerator\MetaGeneratorServiceProvider" --tag="config"
   

2. Basic Usage: Define metadata for a model in its meta() method:

   use Augustpermana\MetaGenerator\MetaGenerator;
   
   class Post extends Model
   {
       public function meta()
       {
           return [
               'title' => 'Default Post Title',
               'description' => 'Default description',
               'keywords' => ['laravel', 'meta', 'generator'],
           ];
       }
   }
   

3. First Use Case: Retrieve metadata for a model instance:

   $post = Post::find(1);
   $meta = MetaGenerator::get($post); // Returns ['title', 'description', 'keywords']
   

Implementation Patterns

Dynamic Metadata

Use closures for dynamic metadata (e.g., SEO-friendly titles):

public function meta()
{
    return [
        'title' => function ($post) {
            return "Read '{$post->title}' on {$this->app->make('App\Services\SiteNameService')}";
        },
    ];
}

Fallback Values

Define fallback metadata in config/meta-generator.php:

'fallbacks' => [
    'title' => 'Default Site Title',
    'description' => 'Default description for all pages',
],

Integration with Blade

Generate <meta> tags in views:

@foreach(MetaGenerator::get($post) as $name => $value)
    <meta name="{{ $name }}" content="{{ $value }}">
@endforeach

API Responses

Attach metadata to API responses (e.g., Laravel Sanctum):

use Augustpermana\MetaGenerator\MetaGenerator;

return response()->json([
    'data' => $post,
    'meta' => MetaGenerator::get($post),
]);

Model Events

Update metadata on model events (e.g., updated):

protected static function boot()
{
    static::updated(function ($model) {
        $model->meta['last_updated'] = now()->toDateTimeString();
    });
}

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Caching Issues:

   • Metadata closures are evaluated per request. Avoid expensive operations (e.g., DB queries) in closures.
   • Clear cached views if metadata changes dynamically but isn’t reflecting.

2. Overriding Defaults:

   • Fallback values in config/meta-generator.php are merged after model-specific metadata. Explicitly set null to override:

     return ['title' => null]; // Disables fallback title
     

3. Nested Relationships:

   • Metadata is resolved on the model instance, not related models. Use with() to eager-load dependencies:

     $post = Post::with('author')->find(1);
     $meta = MetaGenerator::get($post); // Access $post->author if needed
     

Debugging

• Log Metadata:

  \Log::debug('Post Meta', MetaGenerator::get($post));
  

• Check Config: Run php artisan config:clear if fallbacks aren’t applying.

Extension Points

1. Custom Resolvers: Extend the MetaGenerator class to add logic:

   class CustomMetaGenerator extends MetaGenerator
   {
       public function get($model)
       {
           $meta = parent::get($model);
           $meta['custom_field'] = $this->resolveCustomField($model);
           return $meta;
       }
   }
   

   Bind it in AppServiceProvider:

   $this->app->bind(MetaGenerator::class, function ($app) {
       return new CustomMetaGenerator($app);
   });
   

2. Model Observers: Sync metadata with external services (e.g., Google Search Console):

   class PostObserver
   {
       public function saved(Post $post)
       {
           $meta = MetaGenerator::get($post);
           // Send to external API
       }
   }
   

3. Middleware: Inject metadata into the request or session:

   public function handle($request, Closure $next)
   {
       $request->merge(['meta' => MetaGenerator::get($request->route('model'))]);
       return $next($request);
   }