Dispatch Laravel Package

Product Decisions This Supports

• Middleware Standardization: Enables consistent middleware application across microservices or legacy systems, reducing technical debt from ad-hoc middleware implementations.
• HTTP Interop Compliance: Aligns with PSR-15 (HTTP Message Interface) and PSR-7 (HTTP Message), easing integration with modern PHP frameworks (Lumen, Slim, etc.) or interoperable stacks.
• Build vs. Buy: Justifies buying middleware dispatch logic instead of reinventing it, especially for teams with limited PHP middleware expertise.
• Roadmap for Modularity: Supports future-proofing by decoupling middleware from core application logic, simplifying A/B testing, feature flags, or canary deployments.
• Use Cases:
  • Migrating from legacy PHP (e.g., CodeIgniter) to PSR-compliant middleware.
  • Building a unified middleware layer for a polyglot backend (PHP + Node.js/Python).
  • Enabling cross-team middleware reuse (e.g., auth, logging) in a distributed system.

When to Consider This Package

• Adopt if:
  • Your stack requires PSR-15/PSR-7 compliance (e.g., integrating with Lumen, Slim, or Symfony components).
  • You need dynamic middleware composition (e.g., runtime conditions like user roles, feature flags).
  • Your team lacks middleware expertise but needs standardized, maintainable middleware logic.
  • You’re building a modular service where middleware should be pluggable (e.g., API gateways, event-driven systems).
• Look elsewhere if:
  • You’re using Laravel’s built-in middleware (this package is overkill for vanilla Laravel apps).
  • Your middleware needs are static and simple (e.g., a single auth middleware with no branching logic).
  • You require enterprise-grade support (low stars/activity may indicate limited maintenance).
  • Your stack is non-PHP (e.g., Go, Java) or uses a framework with native middleware (e.g., Express.js).

How to Pitch It (Stakeholders)

For Executives: "This package lets us standardize how our PHP services handle HTTP requests—like a ‘traffic cop’ for security, logging, or feature flags—without custom code. It’s like upgrading from hand-built bridges to a highway system: faster to build, easier to maintain, and compatible with modern tools. For $0 (MIT license), we avoid reinventing middleware wheels, reducing dev time and tech debt. Ideal if we’re scaling services or integrating with non-Laravel PHP stacks."

For Engineering: *"Equip/Dispatch is a PSR-15 middleware dispatcher that:

• Decouples middleware from frameworks (works with Lumen, Slim, or raw PSR-7).
• Supports dynamic chains (e.g., if (feature_flag) { use RateLimiter }).
• Lowers coupling—swap middleware without touching business logic.
• Future-proofs for interop with other HTTP libraries (e.g., ReactPHP). Use it if you’re tired of middleware spaghetti or need to share middleware logic across services. Avoid if you’re all-in on Laravel’s middleware or have trivial needs."