Nova Resource Maker Laravel Package

Getting Started

1. Install via Composer:

   composer require inani/nova-resource-maker
   

2. Register the tool in app/Providers/NovaServiceProvider.php inside the tools() method:

   use Inani\NovaResourceMaker\NovaResourceMaker;
   
   public function tools()
   {
       return [
           new NovaResourceMaker(),
       ];
   }
   

3. Open Nova in your browser — a new sidebar item ("Resource Maker" or similar) will appear. That's your first stop.

4. First use case: pick an existing Eloquent model (e.g. App\Models\Post), let the tool introspect the table, and copy the generated fields() array into the matching app/Nova/Post.php resource as a starting scaffold. This is the fastest win — it saves you hand-writing Text::make('title'), DateTime::make('published_at'), etc. for every column.

Where to look first if it misbehaves: the tool's routes/ and src/ directories after installation — it's a small package, so reading the source is faster than guessing. Check composer.json for the laravel/nova version constraint before installing on a modern Nova app.

Implementation Patterns

• Scaffold-then-refine: Generate the fields() array for a new resource, paste it into your Nova resource, then manually adjust labels, visibility (hideFromIndex, onlyOnDetail), and validation. The tool gives you a solid ~80% starting point; the remaining 20% is domain knowledge it can't infer.
• Bulk resource bootstrapping: When migrating a legacy app with many tables, run through each model one-by-one in the tool, keep the generated arrays in a scratch file, then create the Nova resources. Effectively turns a repetitive multi-hour task into a multi-minute one per resource.
• Field-type mapping: The tool maps database column types (string → Text, text → Textarea, datetime → DateTime, integer → Number, boolean → Boolean) — treat its output as a first draft, especially for enums, JSON columns, and anything with a foreign key.
• Integrate with your existing workflow: keep the tool registered only in local/staging environments:

   public function tools()
   {
       return $this->app->environment(['local', 'staging'])
           ? [new NovaResourceMaker()]
           : [];
   }
  

• Relationship scaffolds: for belongs-to columns (author_id), expect the generator to produce a plain Number or ID field — swap it for BelongsTo::make('Author', 'author', User::class) yourself. The tool has no reliable way to infer your relationship naming.
• Custom fields/partials: if your generated output contains a Nova field class you haven't installed, don't strip it — note the missing dependency, adjust, or add the package. This doubles as a quick "what fields does this model need" audit.

Gotchas and Tips

• Age is the biggest risk: last release was Feb 2019 against Nova 1.x/2.x. Nova has moved substantially since. Expect registration failures on Nova 3+ and PHP 8. Pin and test in a throwaway branch before adding to a real project.
• Nova must be installed as a dependency: this is a Nova tool, not a standalone package. It will error out or silently fail to register if laravel/nova isn't already present and autoloaded.
• Tool discovery vs. manual registration: if the sidebar item doesn't appear, confirm you registered it in tools() (not resources()) and ran php artisan nova:publish is not required but composer dump-autoload may be after installation.
• Generated code is plain PHP strings — it will not respect your app's custom base Resource class, fields() helper methods, or field macros. Paste and adapt; don't paste blindly into a resource that overrides fields() from a parent.
• Hidden columns: database columns like deleted_at, created_at, updated_at, and pivot/junction tables will usually show up. Delete them manually or wrap in Timestamp::make(...)->hideFromIndex() — the generator does not know your intent.
• Foreign keys and enums are weak spots: expect Number::make('status') for what is really a status enum; expect Number::make('author_id') rather than BelongsTo. Always review these two categories.
• Debugging generated output: if the field array is empty or throws, check the tool reads your model's $table correctly — models with a dynamic table name (set in __construct or via $table mutations) can confuse the introspector. Compare against Schema::getColumnListing((new Post)->getTable()).
• Extension points are minimal: with only ~24 stars and no dependents, don't expect hooks, config files, or a documented service provider binding to customise mapping. Fork it (it's small) or, for anything beyond a first-pass scaffold, prefer writing Nova resources by hand or using Nova's own nova:resource + manual field authoring.
• Verdict for day-to-day use: worth it as a one-shot accelerator on a legacy-project migration where you already know Nova 1/2 is in play. Not worth introducing into a greenfield Nova 3/4 app — the compatibility risk outweighs the time saved, and Text::make('title') is not hard to type.