Predictionio Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require codag/predictionio-bundle:dev-master
   

   Add to AppKernel.php:

   new Codag\PredictionIOBundle\CodagPredictionIOBundle(),
   

2. Configuration (config.yml):

   codag_prediction_io:
       app_key: "your_predictionio_app_key"
       api_url: "http://your-predictionio-server:8000"
   

3. First Use Case: Inject the service and call a PredictionIO method (e.g., trackEvent):

   use Codag\PredictionIOBundle\Service\PredictionIOService;
   
   class MyController extends Controller
   {
       public function index(PredictionIOService $predictionIO)
       {
           $predictionIO->trackEvent(
               'user123', // user ID
               'product_view', // event name
               ['productId' => 'prod456'] // event data
           );
           return new Response('Event tracked!');
       }
   }
   

Where to Look First

• Service Class: Codag\PredictionIOBundle\Service\PredictionIOService (wraps the PredictionIO-PHP-SDK).
• Configuration: app/config/config.yml for app_key and api_url.
• SDK Docs: PredictionIO-PHP-SDK for method signatures.

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Event Tracking: Log user actions (e.g., clicks, purchases) for real-time recommendations:

   $predictionIO->trackEvent('user789', 'purchase', ['itemId' => '123']);
   

2. Recommendations: Fetch real-time or batch recommendations:

   $recommendations = $predictionIO->recommendItems('user456', 'product', 5);
   

3. User Segmentation: Query user segments (e.g., "high-value customers"):

   $users = $predictionIO->getUsersInSegment('high_value');
   

Integration Tips

• Dependency Injection: Use the PredictionIOService in controllers/services via autowiring or manual injection.
• Event Listeners: Trigger PredictionIO events in Symfony event listeners (e.g., KernelEvents::TERMINATE):

  public function onKernelTerminate(GetResponseEvent $event)
  {
      $request = $event->getRequest();
      $predictionIO->trackEvent($request->get('userId'), 'page_view', ['url' => $request->getUri()]);
  }
  

• Batch Processing: Use async tasks (e.g., Symfony Messenger) for bulk event tracking to avoid API throttling.

Common Use Cases

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Deprecated SDK:

   • The underlying PredictionIO-PHP-SDK is outdated (last updated in 2015). Methods may not align with newer PredictionIO versions (e.g., v0.12+).
   • Workaround: Check the PredictionIO REST API docs and manually adapt calls if needed.

2. Configuration Sensitivity:

   • Hardcoding app_key or api_url in config.yml exposes secrets. Use Symfony’s %env% or parameter bags:

     codag_prediction_io:
         app_key: "%env(PREDICTIONIO_APP_KEY)%"
     

3. Error Handling:

   • The bundle lacks built-in exception handling for PredictionIO API errors (e.g., rate limits, invalid requests).
   • Tip: Wrap calls in try-catch and log errors:

     try {
         $predictionIO->trackEvent(...);
     } catch (\Exception $e) {
         $this->container->get('logger')->error('PredictionIO error: ' . $e->getMessage());
     }
     

4. CORS/Proxy Issues:

   • If PredictionIO runs on a separate domain, configure CORS or use a Symfony proxy (e.g., HttpClient with a custom adapter).

Debugging Tips

• Enable Debug Mode: Set debug: true in the bundle config to log raw API responses:

  codag_prediction_io:
      debug: true
  

• Check SDK Logs: The underlying SDK logs HTTP requests/responses to PredictionIO.log (if configured).

Extension Points

1. Custom Services: Extend PredictionIOService to add domain-specific methods:

   class CustomPredictionIOService extends PredictionIOService
   {
       public function trackCartUpdate(string $userId, array $cartItems): void
       {
           $this->trackEvent($userId, 'cart_update', ['items' => $cartItems]);
       }
   }
   

2. Event Subscribers: Create subscribers to auto-track events (e.g., Doctrine lifecycle events):

   class CartSubscriber implements EventSubscriber
   {
       public function getSubscribedEvents()
       {
           return [
               'kernel.request' => 'onKernelRequest',
           ];
       }
   
       public function onKernelRequest(GetResponseEvent $event)
       {
           $cart = $event->getRequest()->get('cart');
           $predictionIO->trackEvent('user1', 'cart_update', $cart);
       }
   }
   

3. Async Processing: Use Symfony’s Messenger component to queue PredictionIO calls for background processing:

   $message = new TrackPredictionIOEvent('user1', 'event_name', ['data']);
   $this->messageBus->dispatch($message);
   

Configuration Quirks

• API URL Format: Ensure api_url ends with / (e.g., http://example.com/api/). The SDK may prepend paths incorrectly.
• SSL/Warnings: If using self-signed certificates, disable SSL verification in the SDK config (not recommended for production):

  codag_prediction_io:
      ssl_verification: false  # Avoid in prod!