Symfony Bridge Laravel Package

Getting Started

Start by installing the base php-debugbar/php-debugbar package (required), then add this bridge:

composer require php-debugbar/php-debugbar php-debugbar/symfony-bridge

Once installed, the bridge automatically registers the PHP Debugbar collector and provider with Symfony’s Service Container — no manual configuration needed for basic usage. The first thing developers will notice is the Debugbar panel appearing in Symfony’s Profiler (if enabled), showing request data, logs, timeline, and more — now integrated via Symfony’s event listener infrastructure.

For immediate exploration, run the included demo:

composer install
composer run demo
# Visit http://localhost:8000/demo/

Implementation Patterns

• Automatic Integration: As a bridge, this package just works out of the box — no service definitions required. It hooks into Symfony’s kernel lifecycle to collect performance metrics, logs, exceptions, and request/response data.
• Laravel-Like Experience in Symfony: Developers migrating from Laravel will recognize the familiar debugbar() helper (if facade is enabled) and Debugbar::info() usage — the bridge reuses the same API as the core PHP Debugbar package.
• Custom Collectors: To add app-specific data (e.g., doctrine query counts, cache stats), register custom collectors as services tagged with php_debugbar.collector. Example:

  // config/services.yaml
  services:
    App\DebugBar\QueryCollector:
      tags: [ { name: php_debugbar.collector, alias: 'queries' } ]
  

• Conditional Activation: Use Symfony’s environment-based configuration (e.g., when@dev) to only enable the debugbar in non-production:

  when@dev:
    php_debugbar:
      enabled: true
  

Gotchas and Tips

• No standalone config: Despite Symfony conventions, this package does not ship with a config/debugbar.php. Configuration is handled entirely by the core php-debugbar/php-debugbar package (see its docs).
• Resettable Services: Since v1.1.0, collectors can implement ResettableInterface for proper reset between requests in long-running processes (e.g., workers via Symfony Messenger). Ensure custom collectors implement this if state persists across requests.
• Kernel Event Conflicts: If your app uses custom event subscribers on KernelEvents::RESPONSE, ensure they run after debugbar’s collector (priority -1000 or lower). Misordered events may result in missing data (e.g., late exceptions).
• Version Alignment: The bridge is tightly coupled to php-debugbar/php-debugbar — always match versions (e.g., ^1.0 bridge ↔ ^3.0 core). Check composer.lock for compatibility.
• Missing Profiler Data? → Clear cache (bin/console cache:clear) and verify the PhpDebugBar\SymfonyBridge\DataCollector\HttpCollector is registered (it should appear in bin/console debug:container --tag=php_debugbar.collector).