Cron Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require babymarkt/cron-bundle
   

   Enable the bundle in config/bundles.php:

   Babymarkt\Symfony\CronBundle\BabymarktCronBundle::class => ['all' => true],
   

2. Basic Configuration (config/packages/babymarkt_cron.yaml):

   babymarkt_cron:
     cronjobs:
       my_first_job: 'app:command-name'
   

3. First Sync:

   php bin/console babymarkt-cron:sync --env=prod
   

First Use Case

Define a job to run a Symfony command (e.g., app:send-daily-emails) every hour:

babymarkt_cron:
  cronjobs:
    send_emails:
      command: 'app:send-daily-emails'
      minutes: 0
      hours: '*'

Implementation Patterns

Workflow Integration

1. Command-Based Jobs:

   • Use Symfony console commands as cron jobs (e.g., app:generate-reports).
   • Pass arguments dynamically:

     babymarkt_cron:
       cronjobs:
         generate_reports:
           command: 'app:generate-reports'
           arguments: ['--user-id=123', '--format=csv']
     

2. Environment-Specific Jobs:

   • Sync only for production:

     php bin/console babymarkt-cron:sync --env=prod
     

   • Exclude dev/staging environments via disabled: true in config.

3. Logging and Output:

   • Redirect output to a file (e.g., /var/log/cron.log):

     babymarkt_cron:
       options:
         output:
           file: '/var/log/cron.log'
           append: true
     

4. Dependency Management:

   • Ensure jobs depend on other services (e.g., database migrations):

     babymarkt_cron:
       cronjobs:
         run_migrations:
           command: 'doctrine:migrations:migrate'
           minutes: 0
           hours: 3
     

Advanced Patterns

1. Conditional Jobs:

   • Disable jobs via config:

     babymarkt_cron:
       cronjobs:
         backup_db:
           command: 'app:backup-db'
           disabled: true  # Disabled until manually enabled
     

2. Custom Scripts:

   • Use script option to override bin/console:

     babymarkt_cron:
       options:
         script: './custom-script.sh'
     

3. Multi-Environment Blocks:

   • Use id to manage separate crontab blocks per environment:

     babymarkt_cron:
       options:
         id: 'myapp_prod'
     

Gotchas and Tips

Common Pitfalls

1. Permissions:

   • Ensure the cron user (e.g., www-data) has write access to:
     • Project directory (chmod -R 755 var/).
     • Log files (if redirecting output).
   • Fix "access denied" errors by running:

     sudo crontab -u www-data -e
     

2. Cron Syntax Errors:

   • Validate cron expressions using crontab.guru.
   • Debug with babymarkt-cron:dump before syncing:

     php bin/console babymarkt-cron:dump --env=prod
     

3. Environment Mismatches:

   • Always specify --env when syncing to avoid mixing environments:

     php bin/console babymarkt-cron:sync --env=prod  # Never use 'dev' in production!
     

4. Output Redirection:

   • Avoid /dev/null in production for debugging:

     babymarkt_cron:
       options:
         output:
           file: '/var/log/myapp_cron.log'
     

Debugging Tips

1. Check Existing Crontab:

   crontab -l -u www-data  # Replace 'www-data' with your cron user
   

2. Test Locally:

   • Use babymarkt-cron:report (requires Doctrine) to track job executions:

     php bin/console babymarkt-cron:report
     

3. Manual Overrides:

   • Temporarily disable a job by commenting its line in /tmp/crontab.<user> (auto-generated by the bundle).

Extension Points

1. Custom Command Handlers:

   • Extend Babymarkt\Symfony\CronBundle\Command\SyncCommand to add pre/post-sync logic.

2. Dynamic Config:

   • Load cronjobs from a database or API by overriding the CronJobLoader service.

3. Sudo Support:

   • Enable sudo for root-level commands:

     babymarkt_cron:
       options:
         crontab:
           sudo: true
     

Laravel-Specific Notes

1. Artisan Commands:

   • Replace my:symfony:command with Laravel’s command:name format:

     babymarkt_cron:
       cronjobs:
         optimize: 'optimize:clear'
     

2. Environment Variables:

   • Use Laravel’s .env variables in cronjobs by referencing them in arguments:

     babymarkt_cron:
       cronjobs:
         send_emails:
           command: 'mail:send'
           arguments: ['--queue=high', '--env=${APP_ENV}']
     

3. Service Providers:

   • Register the bundle in config/app.php under providers:

     Babymarkt\Symfony\CronBundle\BabymarktCronBundle::class,
     

4. Queue Workers:

   • For Laravel queue-based jobs, ensure the queue worker is running:

     php artisan queue:work --daemon
     

   • Schedule the worker itself via cron:

     babymarkt_cron:
       cronjobs:
         queue_worker:
           command: 'queue:work'
           minutes: '*'
           hours: '*'
           disabled: false