Getting Started

v4.4.0 adds Laravel 9 support (#130), so confirm your app is on PHP 8.0+ and laravel/framework:^9.0 before adopting this version.
Install with composer require vendor/package:^4.4; if already on v4.x, run composer update vendor/package --with-all-dependencies and verify with composer why-not laravel/framework 9.
Look first at the README install section, then the v4.4.0 changelog entry, then the package service provider and config/ files. Laravel package auto-discovery should register the provider; check bootstrap/cache/packages.php if it does not.
First use case: publish config and migrations with php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Vendor\Package\PackageServiceProvider", run migrations, then resolve the package’s main facade or service in php artisan tinker or a feature test. Validate the flow on Laravel 9 before deploying.

Implementation Patterns

Keep application code behind the package’s contracts or facade. Use constructor injection in controllers, jobs, and listeners rather than resolving from the container inline; this keeps tests fast and implementations swappable.
Publish only what you need. Keep package defaults in the published config file and drive environment-specific values through env-backed config keys.
Register package commands and schedule them from app/Console/Kernel.php. Use Laravel’s event discovery for package events/listeners rather than manual registration.
In tests, use RefreshDatabase or DatabaseTransactions for published migrations, and bind fakes/mocks for external package dependencies. If the package ships test helpers, use them instead of hand-rolling setup.
For CI, test one job on Laravel 9 with PHP 8.0 and another on PHP 8.1+. In reusable libraries, constrain to ^4.4 so Laravel 9 support is explicit.

Adding Laravel 9 support in v4.4.0 does not make earlier v4.x constraints compatible; require ^4.4 explicitly. Run composer update --with-all-dependencies to resolve transitive constraints.
Laravel 9 requires PHP 8.0+, so check local, CI, and production images before upgrading. PHP 7.x platforms will fail Composer resolution.
After publishing config/migrations or upgrading the package, run php artisan config:clear, php artisan cache:clear, and php artisan package:discover if using cached package manifests.
Watch for migration collisions when published migrations duplicate existing tables; guard with Schema::hasTable() and check migration timestamps before running.
If upgrading from v3, read the upgrade guide first. v4.4.0 is additive for Laravel 9, but earlier v4 minors may contain breaking changes.
Debug missing providers by checking composer.json extra.laravel.providers, then run composer dump-autoload. Use php artisan about, Telescope, and the package’s log channel to inspect container bindings and configuration at runtime.