- How do I install ite/common in a Laravel application?
- Install it with Composer using composer require itedev/common. Laravel auto-discovery registers the service provider, so no manual entry in config/app.php is normally required. Before installing, read the package composer.json to confirm the PHP constraint and the full transitive dependency tree.
- Does ite/common support Laravel package auto-discovery?
- Yes. The package advertises Laravel auto-discovery, so its service provider is registered automatically when the package is installed. If you need to opt out, you can exclude it the standard Laravel way through the extra.laravel.dont-discover section of your application composer.json.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does ite/common support?
- The overview does not state an explicit support matrix, so the authoritative answer is in the package composer.json require block. Check the php constraint and the illuminate/support or framework version constraints there, and test on your target Laravel and PHP versions in a branch before adopting.
- What helpers and traits does ite/common actually provide?
- The package describes itself as a shared foundation with reusable service providers, helpers, and traits for the ITE package family. The overview does not list individual functions, so review the source to enumerate them. For each helper, identify the native PHP 8 equivalent or the existing Illuminate Support class such as Str, Arr, Collection, or Number.
- Are ite/common helper functions namespaced or global, and can they collide with Laravel helpers?
- This is not documented in the overview and must be verified in the source before installing. Global helper functions are common in packages of this type and can cause fatal redeclare errors at boot if they clash with Laravel helpers or legacy functions in your app. Look for namespacing discipline and function_exists guards around every function definition.
- What does the ite/common service provider register, and can I disable it?
- The package centralizes bootstrapping through an auto-discovered service provider, and it also mentions optional configuration publishing with sensible defaults. Confirm from the source whether it merges config, binds singletons, or registers anything global, because an auto-discovered provider runs on every request. If the side effects are unwanted, you can disable discovery in composer.json or remove the provider from the cached manifest.
- How do I publish the ite/common configuration file?
- Configuration publishing is described as optional, with sensible defaults shipped in the package. After installation, run php artisan vendor:publish and select the ite/common provider or tag, which you can confirm by inspecting the provider boot method. Only publish if you actually need to override the defaults.
- Is ite/common safe to use in production?
- Treat it as unvalidated until you have reviewed it yourself. The package shows very low adoption signals, including a small star count and no dependents, so you would likely be the first production consumer. If the maintainer stops, you own the fork, so resolve license terms for vendoring before writing any integration code.
- How should I test and verify ite/common before adding it as a dependency?
- Check test coverage, CI status, last commit date, release history, and open issues on the repository. Install it in a throwaway Laravel app, boot the provider, and exercise the helpers you intend to use. Pay particular attention to any helper on a hot path such as request handling, serialization, or collection loops.
- What are the alternatives to ite/common for shared helpers in Laravel?
- Most helper functionality is already covered by PHP 8 natives and the Illuminate Support components, including Str, Arr, Collection, and Number, plus Symfony polyfills pulled in transitively. If you only need a handful of utilities, copy those specific helpers into your own codebase with attribution rather than taking on a dependency. A shared package only earns a permanent slot when it provides helpers that are genuinely absent, widely used, and stable.