Dummy Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require directorytree/dummy
   

   No Laravel-specific dependencies (since v1.1.0), so works in any PHP project.

2. Basic Usage:

   use DirectoryTree\Dummy\Dummy;
   
   $dummy = new Dummy();
   $fakeData = $dummy->make('User', ['name' => 'John Doe', 'email' => 'john@example.com']);
   

   • Replace 'User' with your model/class name.

3. First Use Case: Generate fake test data for a model:

   $users = $dummy->times(5)->make('User');
   

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Model Factories:

   // Define a factory for a model (e.g., `app/Models/User.php`)
   $dummy->factory('User', function () {
       return [
           'name' => 'Fake Name',
           'email' => 'fake@example.com',
       ];
   });
   
   // Generate data
   $user = $dummy->make('User');
   

2. Dynamic States (Laravel HasFactory Integration):

   $dummy->state('User', 'admin', [
       'role' => 'admin',
       'is_active' => true,
   ]);
   
   $admin = $dummy->state('User', 'admin')->make();
   

3. Collections:

   $users = $dummy->times(10)->make('User'); // Array of 10 users
   $users = $dummy->times(10)->sequence('User'); // Sequenced data
   

4. Custom Logic:

   $dummy->factory('Order', function () {
       return [
           'amount' => fn() => rand(10, 1000),
           'status' => fn() => ['pending', 'shipped', 'delivered'][rand(0, 2)],
       ];
   });
   

Integration Tips

1. Laravel Models: Use with Laravel’s Factory trait for consistency:

   use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
   
   class User extends Model {
       use HasFactory;
   }
   

   • Dummy’s state() method aligns with Laravel’s factory states.

2. Testing: Replace Laravel’s factory() with Dummy for non-Laravel projects:

   $dummy = new Dummy();
   $fakePost = $dummy->make('Post', ['title' => 'Test Post']);
   

3. Sequencing: Generate incremental data:

   $dummy->sequence('User', function ($index) {
       return ['name' => "User $index", 'email' => "user$index@example.com"];
   });
   

4. Dependency Injection: Bind Dummy to a container (e.g., Laravel’s IoC):

   $app->bind(Dummy::class, fn() => new Dummy());
   

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. No Laravel Dependency (Post-v1.1.0):

   • Missing Laravel helpers (e.g., Arr::random()). Use PHP’s native functions or Illuminate\Support\Arr if available.
   • Example workaround:

     $randomItem = Arr::random(['a', 'b', 'c']); // Requires `use Illuminate\Support\Arr;`
     

2. Factory Overrides:

   • Later factory() calls overwrite earlier ones for the same class. Use state() for variations.

3. Closure Scope:

   • Closures in factories run at generation time. Avoid relying on external state:

     // ❌ Avoid (uses external $counter)
     $dummy->factory('Item', fn() => ['id' => $counter++]);
     
     // ✅ Use closure args
     $dummy->sequence('Item', fn($index) => ['id' => $index]);
     

4. Laravel 12+ Compatibility:

   • Test with Laravel 12’s new features (e.g., Model::factory() changes). Dummy may not mirror all updates.

Debugging

1. Inspect Factories:

   $dummy->getFactories(); // Returns all registered factories.
   

2. Clear Factories:

   $dummy->clearFactories(); // Reset all factories.
   

3. Log Output: Enable verbose logging for debugging:

   $dummy->setVerbose(true);
   

Extension Points

1. Custom Helpers: Extend with your own data generation logic:

   $dummy->addHelper('fakeName', fn() => 'Helper Name');
   $dummy->factory('User', ['name' => $dummy->fakeName()]);
   

2. Plugin System: Create reusable factory sets:

   class UserFactories {
       public function __invoke(Dummy $dummy) {
           $dummy->factory('User', [...]);
           $dummy->state('User', 'admin', [...]);
       }
   }
   // Usage:
   $dummy = (new Dummy())->extend(new UserFactories());
   

3. Mocking: Use for mocking dependencies in tests:

   $dummy->factory('Service', fn() => [
       'method' => fn() => 'mocked_result',
   ]);