Browser Detector Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require elao/browser-detector-bundle:1.1.*
   

   Add to AppKernel.php:

   new Elao\Bundle\BrowserDetectorBundle\ElaoBrowserDetectorBundle(),
   

2. Basic Configuration (config.yml):

   elao_browser_detector:
       browsers:
           incompatible:
               "IE": "<=7"
   

3. First Use Case: Inject the service in a controller to check browser compatibility:

   use Elao\Bundle\BrowserDetectorBundle\Service\BrowserDetector;
   
   class HomeController extends Controller
   {
       public function index(BrowserDetector $detector)
       {
           if ($detector->isCompatible()) {
               return $this->render('homepage');
           }
           return $this->redirectToFallback();
       }
   }
   

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Detecting Browser Compatibility:

   if (!$detector->isCompatible()) {
       $this->addFlash('error', 'Your browser is not supported.');
       return $this->redirectToRoute('browser_fallback');
   }
   

2. Partial Compatibility Handling:

   elao_browser_detector:
       browsers:
           partially_compatible:
               "Internet Explorer": "<9"
   

   Use isPartiallyCompatible() to trigger feature flags or warnings.

3. User-Agent Parsing: Access raw data via getBrowser() or getVersion():

   $browserName = $detector->getBrowser()->getName();
   $browserVersion = $detector->getBrowser()->getVersion();
   

4. Event-Based Integration: Listen to kernel.request for real-time checks:

   $eventDispatcher->addListener('kernel.request', function (GetResponseEvent $event) {
       $detector = $event->getRequest()->get('elao_browser_detector');
       if (!$detector->isCompatible()) {
           $event->setResponse(new RedirectResponse('/fallback'));
       }
   });
   

5. Custom Logic with BrowserCap: Extend functionality by injecting ElaoBrowserDetector service:

   $browserCap = $detector->getBrowserCap();
   if ($browserCap->isMobile()) {
       // Mobile-specific logic
   }
   

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Deprecation Warning:

   • The package is archived and deprecated in favor of piwik/device-detector. Migrate if possible.

2. Version Format Strictness:

   • Invalid version formats (e.g., "Firefox": "3.6-4.0") will silently fail. Validate inputs:

     if (!$detector->isVersionValid('Firefox', '>3.6')) {
         throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Invalid version format.');
     }
     

3. Case Sensitivity:

   • Browser names in config (e.g., "IE") must match exactly the parsed name. Use getBrowser()->getName() to debug mismatches.

4. Caching Issues:

   • The bundle does not cache user-agent parsing by default. For high-traffic apps, cache the BrowserDetector service:

     services:
         elao_browser_detector:
             public: true
             synthetic: true
     

5. Kernel Event Dependency:

   • The bundle only runs on kernel.request. For CLI commands or non-request contexts, manually instantiate:

     $detector = new \Elao\BrowserDetector\BrowserDetector($requestStack->getCurrentRequest());
     

Debugging Tips

1. Log Raw User-Agent:

   $userAgent = $request->headers->get('User-Agent');
   $this->logger->debug('User-Agent:', ['ua' => $userAgent]);
   

2. Verify Configuration: Dump the parsed browsers:

   dump($detector->getBrowser()->getName(), $detector->getVersion());
   

3. Test Edge Cases:

   • Use tools like User-Agent Switcher to simulate legacy browsers.

Extension Points

1. Custom Browser Rules: Extend the BrowserCap class to add proprietary checks:

   class CustomBrowserCap extends \Elao\BrowserDetector\BrowserCap
   {
       public function isEnterpriseBrowser()
       {
           return strpos($this->getName(), 'Enterprise') !== false;
       }
   }
   

2. Override Default Logic: Replace the service definition in services.yml:

   services:
       elao_browser_detector:
           class: AppBundle\Service\CustomBrowserDetector
           arguments: ['@request_stack']
   

3. Add Metadata: Attach browser data to the request for downstream use:

   $request->attributes->set('browser', [
       'name' => $detector->getBrowser()->getName(),
       'version' => $detector->getVersion(),
       'is_compatible' => $detector->isCompatible(),
   ]);