Getting Started

Confirm platform requirements first: release 3.0.0 bumps Symfony support to 4.x, which generally means PHP 7.1.3+ and a Laravel version that ships Symfony 4 components (Laravel 5.6+). If you are on Laravel 5.5 or older, stay on the previous major line.
Install with an explicit constraint: composer require vendor/package:^3.0. Check the package’s composer constraints before upgrading in a mixed-dependency project.
Laravel package auto-discovery should register the service provider. If your app disables discovery, add the provider to config/app.php manually.
Publish any config/assets the package exposes: php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Vendor\\Package\\ServiceProvider".
First use case: open php artisan tinker, resolve the package’s primary service or facade, and run a read-only call to confirm container wiring and configuration. Then move the same call into a controller, command, or job.

Implementation Patterns

Prefer constructor injection in controllers, jobs, and commands. Use the facade mainly in Blade views, quick scripts, or legacy code where DI is awkward.
Keep package configuration in config/ and drive environment-specific values through .env. Run php artisan config:cache in production and clear it during local debugging.
For long-running or remote operations, wrap package calls in queued jobs with explicit timeouts and retry limits. Restart workers after deployment: php artisan queue:restart.
In tests, bind a fake/mock implementation into the container or use any package-provided fake helpers. Assert the interaction rather than hitting external services.
Add a CI matrix for the Laravel/Symfony 4 versions you actually support. Run composer update --prefer-lowest periodically to catch overly loose constraints.
If the package dispatches events or exposes extension points such as custom drivers or macros, use those rather than subclassing or forking. Register customizations in a dedicated service provider.
For scheduled workflows, call the package through a scheduled command or job rather than directly from Kernel::schedule(), so failures are retried and logged consistently.

3.0.0 is a major version. The Symfony 4 bump drops Symfony 3 support; read the CHANGELOG/UPGRADE notes before upgrading. Use composer why-not vendor/package 3.0 to find blocking dependencies.
Verify auto-discovery is active. A missing provider often looks like a “class not found” or “target class does not exist” error during container resolution.
After publishing or editing config, run php artisan config:clear. If you use php artisan optimize, stale cached config and services can hide binding errors—clear caches before debugging.
Symfony 4 requires PHP 7.1.3+ and may require extensions such as mbstring. Check composer check-platform-reqs in CI and production.
Avoid resolving the package in a service provider’s register() method if it touches config, the database, or the filesystem. Defer to boot() or a deferred provider.
When debugging, wrap calls with Log::debug() and inspect storage/logs/laravel.log. For queue failures, check the failed-jobs table and worker logs.
Prefer container bindings and config overrides over editing vendor code. If the package wraps Symfony components, you can often swap an implementation through the container without forking.