Getting Started

Minimal Setup

Installation:
```
composer require laravel/boost
php artisan boost:install
```
This initializes Boost in your Laravel project, setting up the boost.json config file and default skills.

First Use Case:

Ask a question about your project:

php artisan boost:ask "How do I implement a multi-step form with Livewire?"

Generate a test:

php artisan boost:ask "Write a Pest test for my User model"

Where to Look First:
- Skills: Run php artisan boost:skills to see available AI capabilities (e.g., laravel-best-practices, livewire, pest-testing).
- Configuration: Edit boost.json to customize AI models, tokens, or enabled skills.
- Documentation: Laravel Boost Docs for CLI commands and advanced usage.

Implementation Patterns

Daily Workflows

Context-Aware Coding:
- Pattern: Use boost:ask with file paths or class names for precise context:
```
php artisan boost:ask "Refactor this controller" --file=app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php
```
- Why: Boost scans your project (models, routes, tests) to provide Laravel-specific suggestions.

Skill-Based Workflows:

Pattern: Enable/disable skills dynamically:

php artisan boost:skills --enable=livewire,laravel-best-practices

Use Cases:

Testing: Use pest-testing skill to generate tests:

php artisan boost:ask "Create a feature test for the auth flow"

Refactoring: Use laravel-best-practices to audit code:

php artisan boost:ask "Review this code for Laravel best practices" --file=app/Services/InvoiceService.php

Integration with IDEs:
- Pattern: Use Boost with Kiro IDE Agent (v2.4.4+) for real-time AI assistance:
```
// boost.json
{
  "agents": {
    "kiro": {
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```
- Why: Seamless inline code suggestions without leaving your editor.
Project-Specific Guidelines:
- Pattern: Customize guidelines in resources/boost/skills/:
```
# SKILL: custom-guideline.md
---
title: "Project-Specific Rules"
---
Always use `Str::of()->title()` for formatting.
```
- Trigger: Boost will reference these during code generation.
Testing Workflow:
- Pattern: Generate and run tests in one command:
```
php artisan boost:ask "Write and run a test for the UserController store method"
```
- Tip: Use --enforce-tests in boost.json to require test generation for new features.

Integration Tips

CI/CD Pipelines:
- Pattern: Use boost:update to sync skills before deployments:
```
php artisan boost:update --discover
```
- Why: Ensures your team uses the latest Laravel-specific AI guidelines.
Monorepos:
- Pattern: Configure mcp_config_path in boost.json:
```
{
  "mcp_config_path": "path/to/monorepo/boost.json"
}
```
- Why: Supports multi-project setups with shared Boost configurations.
Cloud Integration:
- Pattern: Deploy Boost skills to Laravel Cloud:
```
php artisan boost:install --cloud
```
- Why: Pre-configures skills for cloud environments (e.g., deployment guidelines).

Custom Agents:

Pattern: Extend Boost with custom MCP agents (e.g., Claude Code):

// boost.json
{
  "agents": {
    "claude": {
      "enabled": true,
      "model": "claude-3-opus",
      "cwd": "./"
    }
  }
}

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

Token Limits:
- Issue: Long file paths or complex contexts may exceed token limits.
- Fix: Use --file or --class flags to narrow scope:
```
php artisan boost:ask "Optimize this" --class=App\Models\User
```
Skill Conflicts:
- Issue: Overlapping skills (e.g., livewire + blade) may generate conflicting advice.
- Fix: Disable redundant skills or merge guidelines:
```
php artisan boost:skills --disable=blade
```
Caching Quirks:
- Issue: Stale skill responses due to caching.
- Fix: Clear Boost cache:
```
php artisan boost:clear
```
- Config: Adjust cache_prefix in boost.json for Laravel 13+:
```
{
  "cache": {
    "prefix": "boost_"
  }
}
```
Model Version Mismatches:
- Issue: AI suggestions for unsupported Laravel versions (e.g., using vapor:deploy in Laravel 10).
- Fix: Specify version in prompts:
```
php artisan boost:ask "Show me Laravel 11 migration syntax"
```
Livewire-Specific Gotchas:
- Issue: Boost may suggest outdated Livewire v3 syntax in v4 projects.
- Fix: Update SKILL.blade.php in resources/boost/skills/livewire/ or use:
```
php artisan boost:skills --enable=livewire-v4
```

Debugging Tips

Verbose Output:
- Enable debug mode to inspect MCP interactions:
```
php artisan boost:ask "Debug this" --verbose
```
- Log Location: storage/logs/boost.log.

Skill Validation:

Validate custom skills with:

php artisan boost:validate-skill resources/boost/skills/custom-guideline.md

Network Issues:
- Error: Http::pool errors when downloading remote skills.
- Fix: Configure a proxy in boost.json:
```
{
  "http": {
    "proxy": "http://your-proxy:port"
  }
}
```
PHP Path Conflicts:
- Issue: Boost uses the system PHP path, which may differ from your project’s PHP version.
- Fix: Set php_executable in boost.json:
```
{
  "tools": {
    "php_executable": "/path/to/your/php"
  }
}
```

Extension Points

Custom Skills:
- Pattern: Create skills in resources/boost/skills/ with frontmatter:
```
# SKILL: custom-skill.md
---
title: "Custom Skill"
description: "Describe your skill's purpose."
---
# Your guidelines here.
```
- Trigger: Boost will auto-discover skills on boost:update.

Agent Hooks:

Pattern: Extend MCP agents via app/Providers/BoostServiceProvider.php:

use Laravel\Boost\Events\AgentInitializing;

public function boot()
{
    event(new AgentInitializing(function ($agent) {
        $agent->extend('custom', function () {
            return new CustomAgent();
        });
    }));
}

Pre/Post-Processing:

Pattern: Override skill rendering:

// app/Providers/BoostServiceProvider.php
public function boot()
{
    Boost::macro('renderSkill', function ($skill) {
        return str_replace('{{placeholder}}', 'custom-value', $skill);
    });
}

Testing Boost:

Pattern: Mock AI responses in tests:

use Laravel\Boost\Facades\Boost;

Boost::shouldReceive('askAI')->andReturn('Mocked response');

Boost Laravel Package