Easyerd Laravel Package

Getting Started

Install the package via Composer:

composer require your-vendor/easy-erd

Publish the configuration file (if needed) and service provider:

php artisan vendor:publish --provider="YourVendor\EasyErd\EasyErdServiceProvider"

Generate your first ERD diagram for a model (e.g., User) in a controller or command:

use YourVendor\EasyErd\ErdGenerator;

public function generateErd()
{
    $erd = new ErdGenerator();
    $diagram = $erd->generate('App\Models\User');
    return response()->streamDownload(function () use ($diagram) {
        echo $diagram->toPng();
    }, 'user_erd.png');
}

Key files to review:

• config/easy-erd.php (for customization)
• app/Console/Commands/GenerateErdCommand.php (pre-built CLI command)

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflow

1. On-Demand Generation: Use the ErdGenerator class in controllers, commands, or API routes to generate diagrams dynamically.

   $erd = (new ErdGenerator())->generate(['App\Models\User', 'App\Models\Post']);
   

2. Scheduled Diagrams: Leverage the built-in GenerateErdCommand for cron jobs or automated documentation:

   php artisan erd:generate --models="User,Post" --output="storage/app/erds"
   

3. Embedding in Views: Output SVG directly in Blade templates:

   {!! (new \YourVendor\EasyErd\ErdGenerator())->generate('App\Models\User')->toSvg() !!}
   

Integration Tips

• Cache Diagrams: Cache generated diagrams to avoid reprocessing:

  $diagram = Cache::remember("erd_{$model}", now()->addHours(1), fn() =>
      (new ErdGenerator())->generate($model)
  );
  

• Custom Styling: Override default Graphviz attributes via config:

  'graphviz' => [
      'rankdir' => 'LR', // Left-to-right layout
      'node' => [
          'shape' => 'box3d',
          'fontname' => 'Arial',
      ],
  ],
  

• Multi-Model Diagrams: Pass an array of models or use wildcards:

  $erd->generate('App\Models\*'); // All models in the namespace
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

• Graphviz Dependencies: Ensure graphviz is installed on your server. The package checks for this on generation but may fail silently in production if missing. Test locally with:

  dot -V
  

• Memory Limits: Complex schemas may hit PHP’s memory limit. Increase memory_limit in php.ini or generate diagrams in chunks.
• Model Relationships: One-to-many/polymorphic relationships may produce cluttered diagrams. Use the --depth option to limit recursion:

  php artisan erd:generate --models="User" --depth=2
  

Debugging

• Verbose Output: Enable debug mode in config to log Graphviz commands:

  'debug' => env('EASY_ERD_DEBUG', false),
  

• Fallback Formats: If Graphviz fails, the package defaults to a text-based representation. Check logs for errors.

Extension Points

• Custom Generators: Extend YourVendor\EasyErd\Contracts\ErdGenerator to support custom diagram types (e.g., plantuml).
• Hooks: Override the generate() method to preprocess models or postprocess the DOT language output.
• Storage Adapters: Replace the default file storage with S3 or database storage by binding a custom ErdStorage implementation.

$this->app->bind(\YourVendor\EasyErd\Contracts\ErdStorage::class, function () {
    return new \YourVendor\EasyErd\Storage\S3Storage();
});