Json Request Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation

   composer require bf-dsf/json-request-bundle
   

   Register the bundle in config/bundles.php (Symfony) or config/app.php (Laravel via bridge):

   return [
       // ...
       BFDsf\JsonRequestBundle\BFDsfJsonRequestBundle::class => ['all' => true],
   ];
   

2. Enable JSON Parsing Add the middleware to your kernel (e.g., app/Http/Kernel.php):

   protected $middleware = [
       // ...
       \BFDsf\JsonRequestBundle\Middleware\JsonRequestMiddleware::class,
   ];
   

3. First Use Case Replace manual json_decode($request->getContent()) with native $request->get():

   public function store(Request $request) {
       $name = $request->get('name'); // Now works for JSON requests!
       // ...
   }
   

Implementation Patterns

Workflows

1. API Endpoints Use $request->get() or $request->all() for JSON payloads (e.g., from Angular/Vue):

   public function update(Request $request) {
       $data = $request->all(); // Parsed JSON as associative array
   }
   

2. Form Data + JSON Hybrid The bundle auto-detects JSON content type (Content-Type: application/json). For mixed requests:

   if ($request->isJson()) {
       $jsonData = $request->all();
   } else {
       $formData = $request->query->all();
   }
   

3. Validation Integrate with Laravel’s Validator:

   $validated = Validator::make($request->all(), [
       'name' => 'required|string',
   ])->validate();
   

Integration Tips

• Symfony Bridge: If using Symfony components, ensure the bundle’s JsonRequestMiddleware is registered before validation middleware.
• Custom Parsing: Override parsing logic via service binding:

  $this->app->bind(\BFDsf\JsonRequestBundle\Parser\JsonParserInterface::class, CustomJsonParser::class);
  

• Testing: Mock $request->isJson() to test both JSON and non-JSON routes.

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Middleware Order Place JsonRequestMiddleware before any middleware that reads raw request content (e.g., ConvertEmptyStringsToNullMiddleware).

2. Content-Type Headers The bundle checks for application/json. For custom types (e.g., application/vnd.api+json), extend the parser:

   class CustomParser implements JsonParserInterface {
       public function parse($content) {
           return json_decode($content, true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
       }
       public function supports($contentType) {
           return str_contains($contentType, 'json');
       }
   }
   

3. Large Payloads Default json_decode may hit memory limits. Adjust json_decode flags or stream parsing:

   $data = json_decode($request->getContent(), true, 512, JSON_BIGINT_AS_STRING);
   

Debugging

• Verify Middleware: Check if JsonRequestMiddleware is registered via php artisan route:list (Symfony) or php artisan route:list --show-uri (Laravel).
• Log Parsing Errors: Wrap $request->all() in a try-catch:

  try {
      $data = $request->all();
  } catch (\JsonException $e) {
      Log::error("JSON parse error: " . $e->getMessage());
  }
  

Extension Points

1. Custom Parsers Implement JsonParserInterface for non-standard JSON (e.g., NDJSON):

   class NdJsonParser implements JsonParserInterface {
       public function parse($content) {
           return array_map('json_decode', explode("\n", $content));
       }
   }
   

2. Request Attribute Add parsed JSON to the request object:

   $request->attributes->set('json', $request->all());
   

3. Laravel-Specific For Laravel, bind the parser in AppServiceProvider:

   public function register() {
       $this->app->bind(
           \BFDsf\JsonRequestBundle\Parser\JsonParserInterface::class,
           \BFDsf\JsonRequestBundle\Parser\LaravelJsonParser::class
       );
   }