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Tinkerwell Helper Laravel Package
beyondcode/tinkerwell-helper
Beyond Code's companion package for Tinkerwell, the desktop code runner for PHP and Laravel. It adds convenient Laravel helpers and integrations so you can execute and debug code in your application's context with less setup.
Open Tinkerwell from your Laravel project.
Frequently asked questions about Tinkerwell Helper
- How do I install beyondcode/tinkerwell-helper in a Laravel project?
- Run composer require beyondcode/tinkerwell-helper --dev. Laravel's package auto-discovery registers the service provider automatically, so there is no config file to publish. Commit the composer.json and lockfile changes so teammates get it with composer install, and keep it out of production since it is a developer-only tool.
- What Artisan command does tinkerwell-helper add?
- It registers a single Artisan command that builds a tinkerwell:// deep link for the current project root and asks the host OS to open it in the Tinkerwell desktop app. The exact signature should be verified against the installed version, since this is a thin wrapper that changes little. Nothing is bound into the container, no config is published, and no migrations or routes are added.
- Does it work inside Docker, WSL2, Devcontainers, or SSH remote workspaces?
- Usually not. The entire feature is an OS-level deep-link handoff, so inside a container or remote host the scheme resolves where no handler exists and the command silently no-ops instead of erroring usefully. It is best used on a native host machine where Tinkerwell is installed. Teams working in Codespaces or remote-only setups should fall back to php artisan tinker.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does beyondcode/tinkerwell-helper support?
- Check the version constraints in the package's composer.json and your lockfile before adopting it, especially if you run PHP 8.3 and Laravel 11 or newer. The last release was in May 2024, so confirm the declared support matrix matches yours. Because the wrapper is thin, a future Laravel major could break provider discovery with no upstream fix.
- Is beyondcode/tinkerwell-helper safe to use in production?
- No, and it should not be installed there. It is a require-dev developer-enablement package that touches no part of the request lifecycle, so it belongs in the same bucket as Pint, Larastan, and PHPUnit. Keep it out of deployed artifacts and CI pipelines, and remove it with composer remove --dev if you change your mind.
- Does tinkerwell-helper replace php artisan tinker?
- No, it complements it. php artisan tinker remains the terminal-native baseline that works over SSH, in containers, and in CI, while Tinkerwell adds GUI history, multi-project tabs, and formatted output for developers who prefer a desktop REPL. The two coexist without conflict, so keep tinker as the documented fallback.
- Do I need a paid Tinkerwell license to use this package?
- Yes. The helper is essentially glue for a commercially licensed, closed-source desktop app from Beyond Code, so without a license the deep link has nothing to open. Treat the per-seat license as the real purchase and the Composer package as convenience wiring around it. Confirm current team and CI licensing terms with the vendor before standardizing.
- Does tinkerwell-helper make network calls or send telemetry?
- Verify this against the installed source during your evaluation rather than assuming either way. The helper itself is a thin deep-link builder, but the desktop app it launches is closed source and handles licensing. Invoke the command manually only and never wire it into a script that consumes untrusted arguments.
- Is beyondcode/tinkerwell-helper actively maintained?
- It has roughly 59 stars, zero dependents, and its last tagged release was in May 2024, though it remains MIT licensed. That is tolerable for a thin wrapper, but plan for no upstream responsiveness by pinning your lockfile. The replacement cost if it stalls is an IDE external-tool entry or a shell alias, about an hour of work.
- What are the alternatives to installing tinkerwell-helper?
- You can launch the Tinkerwell desktop app directly, use an IDE run configuration pointed at your project, or fall back to php artisan tinker for terminal-native REPL sessions. Any of these covers most of the value without adding a vendor-coupled dev dependency. The helper is only worth installing as an opt-in convenience for developers who already hold Tinkerwell licenses.
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