Extbaser Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Steps

1. Installation

   composer require edrush/extbaser --dev
   

   (Note: Package is now updated to v0.1.0; verify compatibility with Laravel 8+/9+.)

2. Initial Setup

   • Run the Artisan command to generate ExtensionBuilder.json from your database schema:

     php artisan extbaser:generate
     

   • Configure the command via config/extbaser.php (if available) or command arguments.

3. First Use Case

   • Define a database schema (e.g., users table with columns id, name, email).
   • Run the generator to auto-create:
     • ExtensionBuilder.json in your project root (defining modules, relations, and wires).
     • Optionally, generate Laravel Eloquent models if configured.
   • Verify the generated ExtensionBuilder.json for correctness.

Implementation Patterns

Workflows

1. ExtensionBuilder-First Development

   • Use extbaser to scaffold ExtensionBuilder.json after defining the database schema.
   • Ideal for TYPO3 Extension Builder integration or when migrating legacy systems to a structured module system.
   • Example output structure:

     {
       "modules": {
         "User": {
           "table": "users",
           "relations": {
             "posts": {
               "type": "hasMany",
               "foreignKey": "user_id"
             }
           }
         }
       }
     }
     

2. Integration with Laravel Eloquent

   • Optionally generate Eloquent models alongside ExtensionBuilder.json (if configured).
   • Customize models by extending them in app/Models/:

     // app/Models/User.php
     class User extends Model {
         protected $fillable = ['name', 'email'];
         public function posts() {
             return $this->hasMany(Post::class);
         }
     }
     

3. TYPO3 Extension Builder Workflow

   • Use the generated ExtensionBuilder.json to scaffold TYPO3 extensions:

     vendor/bin/extension-builder create --json=ExtensionBuilder.json
     

   • Sync Laravel models with TYPO3 entities for unified backend/frontend logic.

4. API and Repository Layer

   • Generate API resources (e.g., UserResource) and repositories to abstract business logic:

     // app/Repositories/UserRepository.php
     public function findWithPosts($userId) {
         return User::with('posts')->find($userId);
     }
     

Integration Tips

• Database Configuration: Ensure .env has correct DB credentials before generation.
• Custom Naming: Override table-to-module mappings in extbaser.php:

  'mappings' => [
      'users' => 'UserModule', // Maps `users` table to `UserModule` in ExtensionBuilder.json
  ],
  

• Selective Generation: Use --tables to generate only specific tables:

  php artisan extbaser:generate --tables=users,posts
  

• Relation Handling: Configure relation types (e.g., hasMany, belongsTo) in the config:

  'relations' => [
      'posts' => 'hasMany',
      'user' => 'belongsTo'
  ],
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Breaking Changes in v0.1.0

   • Output Format Shift: No longer generates Eloquent models by default; focuses on ExtensionBuilder.json.
   • Migration: Update workflows to account for the new JSON output. Manually generate models if needed.
   • Workaround: Use --generate-models flag (if added) or post-process the JSON.

2. TYPO3-Specific Quirks

   • ExtensionBuilder.json may require manual adjustments for TYPO3-specific fields (e.g., controllerActions).
   • Tip: Validate the JSON against TYPO3 Extension Builder docs.

3. Limited Laravel Integration

   • No built-in support for:
     • Laravel Sanctum/Passport policies.
     • Soft deletes (add manually post-generation).
   • Tip: Extend models post-generation or use Laravel events.

4. Relation Parsing Issues

   • Complex relations (e.g., many-to-many with pivot tables) may not auto-detect.
   • Solution: Configure relations explicitly in extbaser.php or edit ExtensionBuilder.json manually.

Debugging

• Command Errors: Check storage/logs/laravel.log for schema parsing issues (e.g., missing foreign keys).
• JSON Validation: Use a JSON validator to ensure ExtensionBuilder.json is syntactically correct.
• Database Connection: Test with php artisan tinker:

  DB::connection()->getPdo();
  

Extension Points

1. Custom JSON Templates

   • Override the default ExtensionBuilder.json template by publishing the config:

     php artisan vendor:publish --tag=extbaser-config
     

   • Extend the template to include TYPO3-specific fields (e.g., iconIdentifier).

2. Post-Generation Scripts

   • Use Laravel’s booted event to sync ExtensionBuilder.json with models:

     // app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
     public function boot() {
         if (file_exists(base_path('ExtensionBuilder.json'))) {
             $this->syncExtensionBuilderWithModels();
         }
     }
     

3. Testing

   • Test JSON generation with a known schema:

     public function test_extension_builder_json() {
         Artisan::call('extbaser:generate');
         $this->assertFileExists(base_path('ExtensionBuilder.json'));
         $json = json_decode(file_get_contents(base_path('ExtensionBuilder.json')), true);
         $this->assertArrayHasKey('modules', $json);
     }
     

Pro Tips

• Pair with Laravel Nova: Use ExtensionBuilder.json to scaffold Nova resources:

  php artisan nova:resource User --model=User --json=ExtensionBuilder.json
  

• TYPO3 Sync: Automate TYPO3 extension updates by watching ExtensionBuilder.json:

  // Use Laravel Filesystem events to trigger TYPO3 extension rebuilds.
  

• Documentation: Generate API docs from ExtensionBuilder.json using tools like Swagger.