Json Pretty Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation: Add to composer.json:

   "require": {
       "camspiers/json-pretty": "1.0.*"
   }
   

   Run composer update.

2. First Use Case: Pretty-print a Laravel response or debug variable:

   use Camspiers\JsonPretty\JsonPretty;
   
   $jsonPretty = new JsonPretty();
   $prettyJson = $jsonPretty->prettify(['key' => 'value']);
   dd($prettyJson); // Debug with formatted JSON
   

3. Where to Look First:

   • README.md for basic usage.
   • Tests for edge cases (e.g., nested arrays, special characters).

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Debugging API Responses: Replace dd($response->json()) with:

   dd((new JsonPretty())->prettify($response->json()));
   

2. Logging Formatted JSON:

   Log::debug('Request Data', [
       'formatted_data' => (new JsonPretty())->prettify($request->all())
   ]);
   

3. Customizing Indentation: Extend the class (see Gotchas) to modify indentation (default: 4 spaces).

4. Integration with Laravel HTTP Responses:

   return response()->json(
       (new JsonPretty())->prettify($data),
       200,
       ['Content-Type' => 'application/json']
   );
   

5. Command-Line Pretty-Printing:

   $json = file_get_contents('data.json');
   echo (new JsonPretty())->prettify(json_decode($json, true));
   

Best Practices

• Avoid in Production: Use only in local environments or debug contexts.
• Cache Instances: Reuse the JsonPretty object for multiple calls (stateless).
• Combine with json_encode: For complex objects, encode first:

  $jsonPretty->prettify(json_encode($object));
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. PHP 5.3 Dependency:

   • Fails on PHP 7+ due to deprecated json_encode flags. Workaround:

     $jsonPretty->prettify(json_encode($data, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT | JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES));
     

2. Non-Array Inputs:

   • Throws exceptions for non-array/non-object inputs. Validate first:

     if (!is_array($data)) {
         $data = (array) $data;
     }
     

3. Special Characters:

   • May mishandle Unicode or control characters. Pre-process with json_encode if needed.

4. Performance:

   • Overhead for large datasets. Avoid in loops or high-traffic endpoints.

Debugging Tips

• Check Output: Compare with native JSON_PRETTY_PRINT:

  echo json_encode($data, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);
  

• Test Edge Cases:

  $jsonPretty->prettify([
      'nested' => ['array', 'with', ['deep', 'keys']],
      'unicode' => 'café',
      'null' => null,
      'bool' => true
  ]);
  

Extension Points

1. Custom Indentation: Override the class to change spacing:

   class CustomJsonPretty extends JsonPretty {
       protected $indent = 2; // Use tabs or custom string
   }
   

2. Add Line Breaks: Modify the prettify method to force line breaks after keys:

   $jsonPretty->prettify($data, true); // Hypothetical flag
   

3. Integration with Laravel: Create a helper:

   if (!function_exists('pretty_json')) {
       function pretty_json($data) {
           return (new JsonPretty())->prettify($data);
       }
   }
   

   Usage: pretty_json($this->data) in Blade or controllers.

Config Quirks

• No Config File: All settings are hardcoded in the class. Extend to add flexibility.
• No Laravel Service Provider: Register manually in AppServiceProvider if reused often:

  $this->app->singleton(JsonPretty::class, function () {
      return new JsonPretty();
  });