Getting Started

Minimal Setup

Installation

composer require bonnier/context-laravel

Publish the config file:

php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Bonnier\Context\ContextServiceProvider"

Configuration Edit config/context.php to define your context keys (e.g., locale, country, theme):
```
'keys' => [
    'locale' => 'en',
    'country' => 'us',
    'theme' => 'light',
],
```

First Use Case Inject the Context facade into a controller or service:

use Bonnier\Context\Facades\Context;

public function index()
{
    // Set a context value
    Context::set('locale', 'sv');

    // Get a context value
    $locale = Context::get('locale');

    // Check if a context exists
    if (Context::has('theme')) {
        // ...
    }
}

Middleware Integration Use the ContextMiddleware to set context values from request data (e.g., URL parameters or headers):

Route::get('/{locale}', function ($locale) {
    // ...
})->middleware('context');

Configure middleware in app/Http/Kernel.php:

protected $middleware = [
    // ...
    \Bonnier\Context\Middleware\ContextMiddleware::class,
];

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

Dynamic Context Resolution Override default values based on request context (e.g., locale from subdomain):

public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
    $locale = $request->getHost(); // e.g., "sv.example.com"
    Context::set('locale', str_replace('.', '', $locale));

    return $next($request);
}

Context-Aware Views Pass context to Blade templates:

return view('welcome', [
    'context' => Context::all(),
]);

In Blade:

<html lang="{{ $context['locale'] }}">

Service Provider Binding Bind context-dependent services in AppServiceProvider:

public function boot()
{
    $this->app->bind(
        \App\Services\LocalizationService::class,
        function ($app) {
            return new \App\Services\LocalizationService(
                Context::get('locale')
            );
        }
    );
}

Fallback Logic Use Context::get('key', 'fallback') to handle missing keys gracefully:
```
$country = Context::get('country', 'us');
```

Integration Tips

APIs: Set context from API headers (e.g., X-Locale):

Context::set('locale', $request->header('X-Locale'));

Testing: Mock context in tests:

Context::shouldReceive('get')->with('locale')->andReturn('test');

Caching: Cache context-aware responses:

$cacheKey = 'user_'.Context::get('locale').'_data';

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

Middleware Order Matters Ensure ContextMiddleware runs before other middleware that relies on context (e.g., localization). Add it early in $middleware or $middlewareGroups.

Config Overrides Default values in config/context.php are not merged with runtime values. Explicitly set keys in middleware or controllers:

// ❌ Won't override config
Context::set('locale', 'sv'); // If 'locale' is already 'en' in config

// ✅ Correct: Override explicitly
Context::set('locale', 'sv', true); // Force override (if method supports it)

Note: The package may not support forced overrides; check the source.

Thread Safety Context is likely not thread-safe. Avoid setting context in queues or background jobs unless explicitly designed for it.
Deprecated Methods The package is outdated (last release: 2020). Assume undocumented methods may break. Prefer get(), set(), and has().

Debugging

Log Context Add a temporary middleware to log context:

public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
    \Log::debug('Current context:', Context::all());
    return $next($request);
}

Check for Typos Context keys are case-sensitive. Debug with:

\Log::debug('Available keys:', array_keys(Context::all()));

Extension Points

Custom Context Sources Extend ContextMiddleware to add new sources (e.g., database):

public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
    $userContext = UserContext::resolve($request->user());
    Context::merge($userContext);

    return $next($request);
}

Event-Based Context Trigger events when context changes (e.g., ContextUpdated):

Context::set('locale', 'sv');
event(new \App\Events\ContextUpdated('locale', 'sv'));

Override Facade Replace the facade for custom logic:

Facades\Context::swap(new \App\Services\CustomContext);

Performance

Avoid Heavy Logic in Middleware Context middleware runs on every request. Offload expensive operations (e.g., DB calls) to controllers or services.

Cache Context For static contexts (e.g., theme), cache values:

$theme = Cache::remember("context.theme", 3600, function() {
    return Context::get('theme');
});

Context Laravel Laravel Package