Laravel Auto Presenter Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require mccool/laravel-auto-presenter
   

   Publish the config (optional):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="McCool\LaravelAutoPresenter\AutoPresenterServiceProvider"
   

2. Define a Presenter: Create a presenter class (e.g., app/Presenters/UserPresenter.php):

   namespace App\Presenters;
   
   use McCool\LaravelAutoPresenter\Presenter;
   
   class UserPresenter extends Presenter
   {
       public function fullName()
       {
           return $this->model->name;
       }
   }
   

3. Bind the Presenter: Register the presenter in config/autopresenter.php:

   'bindings' => [
       \App\Models\User::class => \App\Presenters\UserPresenter::class,
   ],
   

4. First Use Case: Pass a model to a view—it will automatically be decorated:

   return view('user.profile', ['user' => $user]);
   

   In the view, access presenter methods:

   {{ $user->fullName() }}
   

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. View Binding:

   • Automatic Decoration: Any model passed to a view is automatically wrapped in its presenter.
   • Nested Data: Works recursively for collections, paginators, and arrays (e.g., User::with('posts')->get() will decorate both User and Post models).

2. Presenter Logic:

   • Model Access: Use $this->model to access the underlying model.
   • Helper Methods: Leverage Presenter base class methods like:
     • linkTo() for URL generation.
     • trans() for localization.
     • html() for HTML escaping.
   • Dynamic Properties: Use getAttribute() or setAttribute() for dynamic properties.

3. Conditional Decoration:

   • Skip decoration for specific models by returning false in a presenter’s __invoke method:

     public function __invoke()
     {
         if ($this->model->isHidden()) {
             return false;
         }
         return $this;
     }
     

4. API Responses:

   • Decorate responses using AutoPresenter::present():

     return response()->json(AutoPresenter::present($user));
     

5. Testing:

   • Mock presenters in tests by overriding the binding:

     $this->app->bind(\App\Presenters\UserPresenter::class, function () {
         return new \App\Presenters\MockUserPresenter();
     });
     

Integration Tips

1. Service Providers: Dynamically bind presenters in the boot() method:

   $this->app->bind(\App\Models\Product::class, function () {
       return \App\Presenters\ProductPresenter::class;
   });
   

2. Middleware: Decorate models before they reach the view:

   public function handle($request, Closure $next)
   {
       $response = $next($request);
       if ($response->hasView()) {
           $view = $response->getContent();
           // Manually trigger decoration if needed
       }
       return $response;
   }
   

3. Blade Directives: Create custom directives to simplify presenter usage:

   Blade::directive('present', function ($expression) {
       return "<?php echo AutoPresenter::present({$expression}); ?>";
   });
   

   Usage:

   @present($user)
   

4. Caching: Cache presenter instances for performance:

   public function __construct()
   {
       $this->model = Cache::remember(
           "presenter_{$this->model->id}",
           now()->addHours(1),
           fn() => $this->model
       );
   }
   

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Circular References:

   • Decorating deeply nested relationships (e.g., User->Posts->Comments->User) can cause infinite loops.
   • Fix: Use AutoPresenter::present($model, ['depth' => 2]) to limit recursion depth.

2. Presenter Overrides:

   • If a presenter returns false in __invoke, the model will not be decorated, which can break expectations.
   • Debug: Check if a presenter is active with:

     dd(AutoPresenter::present($model) instanceof \App\Presenters\UserPresenter);
     

3. Configuration Conflicts:

   • The bindings array in config/autopresenter.php takes precedence over service provider bindings.
   • Tip: Use AutoPresenter::bind() in service providers to dynamically override config values.

4. Performance Overhead:

   • Auto-decoration adds minor overhead. For APIs or CLI commands, disable it temporarily:

     AutoPresenter::disable();
     // Your code here
     AutoPresenter::enable();
     

5. Blade Caching:

   • Blade-compiled views may not reflect presenter changes until the cache is cleared:

     php artisan view:clear
     

Debugging

1. Check Active Presenters:

   dd(AutoPresenter::getBindings());
   

2. Inspect Decorated Models:

   dd(AutoPresenter::present($model));
   

3. Disable Auto-Presentation: Temporarily disable in AppServiceProvider:

   public function boot()
   {
       AutoPresenter::disable();
       // Your logic here
       AutoPresenter::enable();
   }
   

4. Presenter Not Triggering:

   • Ensure the model class matches the binding key (e.g., \App\Models\User, not User).
   • Verify the presenter is autoloaded (check composer dump-autoload).

Extension Points

1. Custom Decorators: Extend the Presenter class to add global methods:

   namespace App\Presenters;
   
   use McCool\LaravelAutoPresenter\Presenter;
   
   class BasePresenter extends Presenter
   {
       public function isActive()
       {
           return $this->model->active;
       }
   }
   

   Then extend other presenters from BasePresenter.

2. Event-Based Decoration: Listen for AutoPresenter.Decorating events to modify decoration logic:

   event(new AutoPresenter\Events\Decorating($model, $presenter));
   

3. Conditional Bindings: Use closures in config/autopresenter.php for dynamic bindings:

   'bindings' => [
       \App\Models\User::class => function ($model) {
           return $model->isAdmin() ? AdminUserPresenter::class : UserPresenter::class;
       },
   ],
   

4. Presenter Factories: Create a factory class to centralize presenter logic:

   class PresenterFactory
   {
       public static function create($model)
       {
           return match (true) {
               $model instanceof User => new UserPresenter($model),
               default => null,
           };
       }
   }
   

   Bind the factory in AutoPresenter::setFactory().