- How do I install the mrshanebarron/rating package in a Laravel application?
- Install it with Composer using composer require mrshanebarron/rating. Laravel package discovery should register the service provider automatically, but confirm that in the package README. If the package provides a config file, publish it with the documented vendor:publish command and review the result before using ratings in your application.
- Do I need to publish a config file for mrshanebarron/rating?
- Based on the v1.0.1 release note, the package ships a config file with an sb- vendor prefix, so you should publish and review it if you need to change defaults. Use the exact publish command and tag documented for v1.0.1 rather than assuming the tag name. If your deployment keeps configuration in version control, commit the published file after reviewing it.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does mrshanebarron/rating support?
- The available package overview does not list a Laravel or PHP version matrix, so check composer.json and the README before adopting it. Confirm the illuminate/support constraint and PHP requirement against your application's supported versions. If those constraints match your Laravel major, the package should fit a standard Composer 2 install.
- How do I add a rating to an Eloquent model with mrshanebarron/rating?
- The package is designed to attach ratings to Eloquent models, so you create or associate a rating record with the target model using the API documented in the README. Because the public API is not shown in the available overview, confirm the exact trait, relationship, or method names before coding. Start with a small test that creates a model, adds a rating, and asserts the stored value.
- Does mrshanebarron/rating support polymorphic rateable models?
- Yes. The package overview explicitly lists polymorphic associations, which means a rating can be attached to more than one rateable model type through a shared relationship. That is useful when users can rate posts, products, comments, or other Eloquent models with the same rating table. Check the README for the exact morph relation names and any required migration columns.
- How do I calculate average ratings and rating counts with this package?
- The package includes aggregation helpers for calculating averages and counts for any rateable model, according to the overview. Use those helpers rather than writing duplicate aggregate queries unless your application needs custom grouping or filtering. Confirm the exact helper names, return types, and caching behaviour in the package documentation before relying on them in production.
- Can I use mrshanebarron/rating with Laravel config caching and Octane?
- Yes, but treat package configuration like any other Laravel config. Publish and review the config first, then run php artisan config:cache as part of deployment if your application caches configuration. If you use Laravel Octane, restart the Octane workers after changing package config so long-lived workers load the new values.
- How should I upgrade mrshanebarron/rating from v1.0.0 to v1.0.1?
- The v1.0.1 release fixes config file naming with an sb- prefix, so do not simply run composer update if you already published the old config file. Record the current filename, update the package, re-run the documented publish command, diff the old and new config files, port any local customisations, and delete the orphaned old file. Then grep your codebase for old config keys or publish tags and run config:clear or config:cache on each environment.
- Are there alternatives to mrshanebarron/rating for Laravel ratings?
- Other Laravel rating packages exist, and you can also implement ratings manually with Eloquent relationships plus aggregate queries for averages and counts. The right choice depends on whether you need polymorphic rateables, star-style UI components, aggregation helpers, and a maintained release cadence. Evaluate this package's API, test coverage, and Laravel version support against your specific rating model before committing.
- How do I test rating functionality in a Laravel app using mrshanebarron/rating?
- Use your normal Laravel test setup, such as RefreshDatabase, to create rateable models and attach ratings through the package API. Assert both the stored rating records and the aggregate helpers for average and count, including cases with multiple ratings and polymorphic model types. Also run the package's own test suite if available and include a config-publish check in your upgrade tests.