Laravel Aircrafts Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require ijeffro/laravel-aircrafts
   

   (Note: Use dev-master for Laravel 5 compatibility if needed.)

2. Register Service Provider & Facade: Add to config/app.php:

   'providers' => [
       IJeffro\Aircrafts\AircraftsServiceProvider::class,
   ],
   'aliases' => [
       'Aircrafts' => IJeffro\Aircrafts\AircraftsFacade::class,
   ]
   

3. Publish Config (Optional):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="IJeffro\Aircrafts\AircraftsServiceProvider"
   

   (Configures table name for aircraft data.)

4. First Use Case: Fetch an aircraft by IATA code in a controller:

   use Aircrafts;
   
   $aircraft = Aircrafts::findByIata('A320');
   dd($aircraft->name); // Output: Airbus A320
   

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Data Retrieval:

   • By IATA Code:

     $aircraft = Aircrafts::findByIata('B737');
     

   • By Manufacturer:

     $boeingAircrafts = Aircrafts::where('manufacturer', 'Boeing')->get();
     

   • All Aircrafts:

     $allAircrafts = Aircrafts::all();
     

2. Integration with Eloquent Models: Add a relationship to a Flight model:

   public function aircraft()
   {
       return $this->belongsTo(Aircraft::class, 'aircraft_iata');
   }
   

   Then fetch:

   $flight->aircraft->name; // e.g., "Boeing 747"
   

3. Validation: Use the facade to validate IATA codes in Form Requests:

   public function rules()
   {
       return [
           'aircraft_iata' => 'required|exists:aircrafts,iata_code',
       ];
   }
   

4. Caching: Cache frequent queries (e.g., manufacturer lists):

   $manufacturers = Cache::remember('aircraft_manufacturers', now()->addHours(1), function () {
       return Aircrafts::distinct()->pluck('manufacturer');
   });
   

Advanced Patterns

• Dynamic Filtering: Combine with Laravel Scout for search:

  use Aircrafts;
  
  $results = Aircrafts::search('787')->get();
  

• API Responses: Normalize aircraft data for APIs:

  return response()->json([
      'data' => Aircrafts::findByIata($request->aircraft)->toArray(),
  ]);
  

• Seeding: Publish and seed the aircraft database:

  php artisan vendor:publish --provider="IJeffro\Aircrafts\AircraftsServiceProvider" --tag=migrations
  php artisan migrate
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Laravel 5 Compatibility:

   • The dev-master branch is explicitly for Laravel 5. For Laravel 6+, check for updates or fork the package.
   • Fix: Use composer require ijeffro/laravel-aircrafts:dev-master only if targeting Laravel 5.

2. Missing Migrations:

   • The package does not auto-migrate the aircraft database. Publish migrations first:

     php artisan vendor:publish --provider="IJeffro\Aircrafts\AircraftsServiceProvider" --tag=migrations
     php artisan migrate
     

3. Case Sensitivity:

   • IATA codes are case-sensitive in queries. Always use uppercase:

     // Correct:
     Aircrafts::findByIata('A380');
     // Incorrect (may return null):
     Aircrafts::findByIata('a380');
     

4. Data Freshness:

   • The package ships with a static dataset. For real-time updates, consider:
     • Writing a cron job to sync with an external API (e.g., OpenAirlines).
     • Forking and extending the package to include an updater.

Debugging Tips

1. Check Published Config: Verify config/aircrafts.php for custom table names or other settings:

   'table' => 'aircrafts', // Default; adjust if needed
   

2. Query Logs: Enable Laravel query logging to debug slow queries:

   DB::enableQueryLog();
   $aircraft = Aircrafts::findByIata('A320');
   dd(DB::getQueryLog());
   

3. Facade vs. Direct Model: Prefer the facade for consistency, but use the underlying model (\IJeffro\Aircrafts\Models\Aircraft) for advanced queries:

   use IJeffro\Aircrafts\Models\Aircraft;
   
   $customQuery = Aircraft::where('range_km', '>', 10000)->get();
   

Extension Points

1. Add Custom Fields: Extend the aircrafts table migration:

   Schema::table('aircrafts', function (Blueprint $table) {
       $table->string('custom_field')->nullable();
   });
   

2. Create a Decorator: Override the facade to add custom logic:

   class CustomAircraftsFacade extends AircraftsFacade
   {
       public static function getByRange($minRange)
       {
           return parent::where('range_km', '>=', $minRange)->get();
       }
   }
   

   Register it in config/app.php.

3. Localization: Add translated aircraft names by publishing the language files:

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="IJeffro\Aircrafts\AircraftsServiceProvider" --tag=lang
   

   Then extend resources/lang/en/aircrafts.php.