Profiler Dashboard Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation Add the bundle via Composer:

   composer require elao/profiler-dashboard-bundle
   

   Enable it in config/bundles.php:

   Elao\ProfilerDashboardBundle\ElaoProfilerDashboardBundle::class => ['all' => true],
   

2. Configuration Publish the default config:

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Elao\ProfilerDashboardBundle\ElaoProfilerDashboardBundle" --tag="config"
   

   Verify config/elao_profiler_dashboard.php exists.

3. First Use Case

   • Ensure Symfony Profiler is enabled (APP_DEBUG=true in .env).
   • Visit /_profiler and navigate to the "Profiler Dashboard" tab.
   • Observe compiled metrics (e.g., request times, memory usage) for the last N requests (configurable via max_requests in config).

Implementation Patterns

Workflows

1. Monitoring Requests

   • Use the dashboard to track slow requests by sorting metrics (e.g., execution_time, memory_usage).
   • Filter by route, controller, or HTTP method via URL parameters (e.g., ?_route=api.users.index).

2. Integration with Existing Tools

   • Logging: Export metrics to a log file via monolog by configuring logger_channel in the bundle config.
   • Alerting: Use Symfony’s EventDispatcher to trigger alerts when thresholds (e.g., max_execution_time) are exceeded:

     // In a service or listener
     $this->eventDispatcher->addListener(
         ElaoProfilerDashboardBundleEvents::REQUEST_PROFILED,
         function (RequestProfiledEvent $event) {
             if ($event->getExecutionTime() > 5000) {
                 // Trigger alert (e.g., Slack, Email)
             }
         }
     );
     

3. Custom Metrics

   • Extend the profiler to include custom metrics (e.g., database query counts):

     // In a service or middleware
     $profiler = $this->container->get('profiler');
     $profiler->addCustomMetric('db_queries', $queryCount);
     

4. Performance Regression Testing

   • Compare metrics across deployments by storing historical data in a database (requires custom implementation).

Integration Tips

• Symfony Flex: If using Symfony Flex, ensure the bundle’s autoloading is compatible with your composer.json:

  "autoload": {
      "psr-4": {
          "": "src/",
          "Elao\\ProfilerDashboardBundle\\": "vendor/elao/profiler-dashboard-bundle/"
      }
  }
  

• Caching: Disable caching for the profiler dashboard in config/packages/dev/profiler.yaml:

  framework:
      profiler:
          collect: true
  

• Environment-Specific Config: Override settings per environment (e.g., config/elao_profiler_dashboard.php for prod):

  return [
      'max_requests' => 100, // Higher for production
      'enabled' => false,   // Disable in prod unless debugging
  ];
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Deprecated Symfony Versions

   • The bundle was last updated in 2017 and may not support Symfony 5/6+. Test thoroughly or fork the package.
   • Workaround: Use a compatibility layer like symfony/polyfill or patch the bundle manually.

2. Memory Overhead

   • Storing metrics for many requests (max_requests) increases memory usage. Monitor with:

     php artisan cache:clear && php artisan config:clear
     

   • Tip: Set max_requests to a reasonable limit (e.g., 50) in production.

3. Profiler Disabled in Production

   • The dashboard will not appear if APP_DEBUG=false. Use a feature flag or middleware to enable it conditionally:

     // In a middleware
     if ($request->ip() === 'YOUR_IP' && !$this->container->getParameter('kernel.debug')) {
         $this->container->setParameter('kernel.debug', true);
     }
     

4. Database Backend Issues

   • The bundle assumes a default Doctrine setup. If using a non-standard database, configure database_connection in the config:

     return [
         'database_connection' => 'pgsql', // Override if not using default
     ];
     

Debugging

• Missing Dashboard Tab:

  • Verify the bundle is enabled in config/bundles.php.
  • Check for errors in var/log/dev.log (Symfony’s default log location).
  • Ensure the profiler is collecting data (APP_DEBUG=true).

• Metrics Not Updating:

  • Clear the profiler cache:

    php artisan cache:clear
    

  • Check if the profiler service is bound correctly in the container.

• Custom Metrics Not Displaying:

  • Ensure metrics are added before the request completes:

    $profiler->addCustomMetric('key', $value); // Must be called during request lifecycle
    

Extension Points

1. Custom Storage Backend

   • Override the storage logic by binding a custom service to elao_profiler_dashboard.storage:

     # config/services.yaml
     services:
         App\Service\CustomProfilerStorage:
             tags: ['elao_profiler_dashboard.storage']
     

2. Modify Metric Calculation

   • Extend the Elao\ProfilerDashboardBundle\Profiler\Profiler class to add/override metrics:

     class CustomProfiler extends \Elao\ProfilerDashboardBundle\Profiler\Profiler
     {
         public function getCustomMetric()
         {
             return $this->customLogic();
         }
     }
     

   • Bind it in config/services.yaml:

     services:
         Elao\ProfilerDashboardBundle\Profiler\Profiler:
             class: App\Profiler\CustomProfiler
     

3. UI Customization

   • Override the Twig templates by publishing and modifying them:

     php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Elao\ProfilerDashboardBundle\ElaoProfilerDashboardBundle" --tag="templates"
     

   • Place custom templates in templates/bundles/elaoprofilerdashboard/.