Browser Detect Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require hisorange/browser-detect
   

   No additional configuration is required—just publish the facade if needed (though not mandatory).

2. First Usage:

   use Browser;
   
   $browser = Browser::make(request()->userAgent());
   

   Or use the facade directly:

   $browser = Browser::current();
   

3. Basic Checks:

   if (Browser::is('Chrome')) {
       // Chrome-specific logic
   }
   
   if (Browser::isMobile()) {
       // Mobile-specific logic
   }
   

Where to Look First

• Facade API: Browser for quick checks.
• Device Detection: Browser::isMobile(), Browser::isTablet().
• Browser-Specific Logic: Browser::is('Firefox').

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Middleware for Browser-Specific Redirects:

   public function handle($request, Closure $next) {
       if (Browser::is('Safari') && Browser::version() < 14) {
           return redirect()->route('safari-upgrade');
       }
       return $next($request);
   }
   

2. Dynamic UI Adjustments:

   @if(Browser::isMobile())
       <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{ asset('css/mobile.css') }}">
   @endif
   

3. Feature Flagging:

   if (Browser::is('Chrome') && Browser::version() >= 90) {
       enableExperimentalFeature();
   }
   

4. User-Agent Parsing in Services:

   public function detectDevice($userAgent) {
       $browser = Browser::make($userAgent);
       return [
           'isMobile' => $browser->isMobile(),
           'browser' => $browser->browser(),
           'version' => $browser->version(),
       ];
   }
   

Integration Tips

• Laravel Request Wrapper: Extend the Request class to auto-detect browser:

  namespace App\Http\Request;
  
  use Browser;
  use Illuminate\Http\Request as BaseRequest;
  
  class Request extends BaseRequest {
      public function browser() {
          return Browser::make($this->userAgent());
      }
  }
  

  Then use request()->browser() anywhere.

• Caching Results: Cache browser detection for performance-critical routes:

  $browser = Cache::remember('browser_' . $request->ip(), 3600, function () use ($request) {
      return Browser::make($request->userAgent());
  });
  

• Testing: Use Browser::fake() in tests to simulate different browsers:

  Browser::fake('Chrome');
  $this->assertTrue(Browser::is('Chrome'));
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. User-Agent Spoofing:

   • User-Agent strings can be faked. Validate with additional checks (e.g., HTTP headers) if security is critical.
   • Example:

     if (Browser::is('Chrome') && !empty($_SERVER['HTTP_SEC_CHROMIUM'])) {
         // Likely a Chromium-based browser
     }
     

2. Legacy Browser Support:

   • Older browsers (e.g., IE < 11) may return unexpected results. Test thoroughly.
   • Use Browser::version() to handle version-specific logic:

     if (Browser::is('IE') && Browser::version() < 11) {
         abort(406, 'Unsupported browser');
     }
     

3. Performance Overhead:

   • Parsing user-agent strings is lightweight, but avoid calling Browser::make() in tight loops or highly frequent routes.

4. Facade vs. Direct Usage:

   • The facade (Browser::current()) caches the result per request. For multiple checks, use Browser::make() to avoid redundant parsing.

Debugging

• Inspect Raw Data:

  $browser = Browser::make($userAgent);
  dd($browser->toArray()); // Full parsed data
  

  Useful for debugging edge cases.

• Update Dependencies: If detection fails for a new browser/device, ensure the underlying packages (e.g., mobiledetectlib) are up-to-date.

Extension Points

1. Custom Detection Logic: Override the default detection by extending the Browser class:

   use HisOrange\BrowserDetect\Browser as BaseBrowser;
   
   class CustomBrowser extends BaseBrowser {
       public function isCustomBot() {
           return $this->isBot() && str_contains($this->userAgent, 'CustomBot');
       }
   }
   

2. Add Custom User-Agent Patterns: Extend the UserAgentParser class to handle niche cases:

   use HisOrange\BrowserDetect\UserAgentParser;
   
   class CustomParser extends UserAgentParser {
       protected function getCustomPatterns() {
           return [
               'CustomBot' => '/CustomBot\/[0-9._]+/',
           ];
       }
   }
   

3. Laravel Service Provider: Bind your custom parser in AppServiceProvider:

   public function register() {
       $this->app->bind(
           HisOrange\BrowserDetect\UserAgentParser::class,
           CustomParser::class
       );
   }
   

Config Quirks

• No Config File: The package is zero-config, but you can publish the config (though it’s unused by default):

  php artisan vendor:publish --provider="HisOrange\BrowserDetect\BrowserDetectServiceProvider"
  

  Useful if you need to override default parser classes.

• Locale Support: The package supports multiple locales (e.g., Browser::locale('fr')), but ensure your app’s locale is set correctly if using dynamic detection.