Console Laravel Package

Getting Started

Start by installing the package via Composer: composer require illuminate/console. This package powers Laravel’s CLI (Artisan), but can be used standalone in any PHP project. To create your first command, extend Illuminate\Console\Command and implement the handle() method. Register commands in a Symfony\Component\Console\Application instance — use Application::setCommandName() to set the app name and add() to include commands. Run php your-script.php list to see available commands. The Laravel documentation’s Artisan section provides excellent reference examples, as this package is the core behind Artisan.

Implementation Patterns

• Command Structure: Use configure() to set name, description, and arguments/options; handle() contains the logic; return self::SUCCESS or self::FAILURE.
• Dependency Injection: Commands are resolved by Laravel’s container (if used) — type-hint dependencies in the constructor or use resolve().
• Standalone Setup: In non-Laravel projects, bootstrap manually:

  $app = new Application('MyCLI', '1.0.0');
  $app->add(new MyCommand());
  $app->run();
  

• Helper Methods: Leverage $this->info(), $this->error(), $this->ask(), $this->confirm() for user interaction and styled output.
• Testing: Extend Tests\TestCase (if using Laravel) or use Symfony\Component\Console\Tester\CommandTester for unit testing commands.

Gotchas and Tips

• Missing Container: In standalone use, features relying on Laravel’s service container (e.g., make(), inject() in handle()) won’t work unless you manually resolve dependencies or bootstrap the container.
• Silent Mode: Use $this->laravel->instance('Illuminate\Console\Application', $this->getApplication()) if you need access to Laravel’s app bindings inside commands without full Laravel.
• Hidden Commands: Set protected $hidden = true; to omit from the list output — useful for internal commands.
• Prompt Issues in CI: Interactive methods (ask(), confirm()) fail in headless environments — guard with $this->input->isInteractive().
• Extensibility: Override getHelperSet() for custom Symfony helpers, or extend Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputDefinition to inject global options.
• Autocompletion: Register with bash-completion via Application::registerCommandName() and provide completion commands (Artisan has this built-in; replicate manually if needed).