- What is mrshanebarron/radio-group and what problem does it solve?
- mrshanebarron/radio-group is a Laravel UI component package that provides ready-made Blade components for rendering grouped radio inputs. It solves the repetitive work of wiring up consistent radio markup, labels, and accessibility attributes across forms and surveys. Instead of hand-writing the same markup and error handling in every view, you render a single component and keep your templates clean. It also slots into Laravel's existing validation flow so error states display alongside the inputs.
- How do I install mrshanebarron/radio-group in a Laravel application?
- Install it with Composer using composer require mrshanebarron/radio-group. Because it is a Laravel UI component package, no manual service provider registration is normally required thanks to package discovery. After installation, you can use the Blade components directly in your form views. Check the repository README for any publish or configuration steps specific to your setup.
- Does the radio group component work with Laravel validation and old input?
- Yes, the package is designed around straightforward validation integration. You validate the field like any other input in your form request or controller, and the component can reflect the error state and repopulate the previously selected option via old input. That means a failed submission keeps the user's choice intact instead of resetting the group. Always confirm the exact prop or attribute names in the README for your version.
- Which Laravel versions does mrshanebarron/radio-group support?
- The package is built as a Laravel UI component package using Blade, so it targets modern Laravel releases. The precise supported version range is declared in the package's composer.json constraints. Check that file and the repository README before upgrading Laravel to avoid surprises. If you are on an older release, verify compatibility first or pin the package accordingly.
- How do I customize the styling of the radio group component?
- The package is built with customizable styling in mind, so you can adapt the rendered markup to your CSS framework or design system. Typically this means publishing the component views or passing classes and attributes through to the underlying elements. Tailwind, Bootstrap, and custom CSS all work as long as you target the rendered structure. Review the published views to see which elements you can style or override.
- Is the radio group component accessible?
- Accessibility is the core purpose of the package, so the components are structured as proper radio groups with associated labels rather than clickable divs. That gives you native keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and correct grouping semantics when you keep the markup intact. Be careful when overriding views not to break the label and input association. Testing with a screen reader or an accessibility audit tool is still recommended for your specific styling.
- Can I use it to build survey forms with options loaded from a database?
- Yes, the component is intended for forms and surveys where a user picks one option from a set. You can pass the options into the component from an Eloquent collection or array built in your controller, keeping the view declarative. This works well for question banks, polls, and multi-question survey pages rendered in a loop. Keep option values stable and unique so validation rules match what the component submits.
- How do I test radio group components in my Laravel test suite?
- Since these are Blade components, you can cover them with standard feature tests that submit a form and assert the selected value is validated and persisted correctly. Use Laravel's built-in assertions for form submissions and validation errors rather than asserting on raw HTML. For rendering checks, component tests or snapshot-style assertions help catch markup regressions. Because the package relies on native radio inputs, your tests interact with normal field names and values.
- Is mrshanebarron/radio-group safe to use in production?
- It is a small, focused UI package rather than something that touches persistence or authentication, so the production risk is low. The main considerations are pinning a specific version in your lockfile and reviewing published views if you override them. Run your normal accessibility and browser checks on the rendered output before shipping. Watching the repository for updates is a sensible maintenance habit.
- What are the alternatives to mrshanebarron/radio-group, and is it actively maintained?
- Alternatives include writing the radio markup yourself in Blade, using a broader form builder package such as Laravel Collective or Filament forms, or component libraries from your CSS framework like Tailwind UI or Bootstrap. This package is narrower and focuses purely on accessible radio groups with validation-friendly markup. For maintenance status, check the repository's commit history, releases, and open issues before adopting it. If it lags behind your Laravel version, a small self-written Blade component is a viable fallback.