Laravel Helpers Laravel Package

Product Decisions This Supports

• Build vs. buy (or "build vs. depend") for utility code. This package is a small, low-surface-area dependency that provides global helper functions for array manipulation (array_first, array_last, array_where, array_forget, array_except) plus control-flow helpers (retry(), value()). The PM decision is whether to keep paying the dependency/maintenance cost versus inlining or replacing these with Laravel's native Arr/Str APIs. The v3.0.2 fixes to retry() attempt counts, delay-callback arguments, and value() closure forwarding suggest these helpers are load-bearing in real code paths — worth auditing before removal.
• PHP platform roadmap. The release explicitly flags a PHP 8.5 migration dependency: PHP 8.5 ships native array_first()/array_last() with array-only signatures, while this package keeps callback/default-argument signatures on PHP 8.1–8.4. Any team planning an 8.5 upgrade must budget a refactor of call sites that pass callbacks or defaults (array_value_first(array_where(...), $default)). This is a concrete line item in upgrade planning, not a hypothetical.
• Correctness/risk reduction in shared helpers. Fixes to retry() attempt counts and delay callbacks touch backoff/retry semantics — directly relevant to reliability of queued jobs, HTTP clients, and third-party integrations. Similarly, array_forget()/array_except() now preserve mixed nested/top-level deletions, which reduces silent data-loss bugs in config and payload manipulation.
• Support matrix and CI confidence for release gating. "107 tests, 243 assertions, PHP 8.1–8.5, clean dependency audits" gives the PM a defensible signal to approve adoption or a version bump without commissioning a bespoke audit.
• Use cases: config/payload shaping, request-payload sanitization, retry/backoff wrappers around flaky integrations, and small convenience helpers in domain services where importing a full utility library would be overkill.

When to Consider This Package

Adopt / keep when:

• You already depend on it (directly or transitively) and rely on the callback/default forms of array_first/array_last, which are not available natively until PHP 8.5 — and even then, not with these signatures.
• You need retry() with predictable attempt counts and delay-callback arguments, or value() that forwards closure arguments.
• You are on PHP 8.1–8.4 and want a small, tested helper surface without pulling in a large dependency.
• Your codebase already uses these global functions widely; replacement cost exceeds the maintenance cost.

Look elsewhere / reconsider when:

• You are moving to PHP 8.5+ and cannot absorb the refactor of callback/default array_first/array_last call sites — the native functions will shadow or conflict with these, so this becomes a migration tax.
• Your needs are already covered by Laravel's first-party Illuminate\Support\Arr, Str, and the framework's own value()/retry() helpers; consolidating reduces dependency count and upgrade friction.
• You require namespaced, statically-analyzable code — global function helpers are harder to trace, mock, and statically analyze than class-based utilities.
• You cannot guarantee PHP 8.1+ with ctype and mbstring extensions enabled in all environments (the package's stated requirement).

How to Pitch It (Stakeholders)

To executives: This is a low-risk, well-tested utility dependency that fixes real reliability issues (retry() backoff/attempt counting, safe array deletions) at effectively zero cost. The one strategic point is timing: PHP 8.5 introduces native functions with the same names but different signatures, so upgrading PHP later requires a scoped refactor. Approving a small, planned migration ticket now avoids an emergency one during the next platform upgrade.

To engineering: v3.0.2 corrects retry() attempt counts and delay-callback arguments, forwards closure arguments through value(), and fixes array_forget()/array_except() so mixed nested/top-level deletions are preserved. Requires PHP 8.1+ with ctype and mbstring; suite is green across PHP 8.1–8.5 (107 tests, 243 assertions) with clean dependency audits. Action item: grep for array_first(/array_last( calls that pass a callback or default — those must be rewritten as array_value_first(array_where($items, $callback), $default) before any PHP 8.5 upgrade. Also evaluate whether our remaining usages are still justified versus Laravel's native Arr/value()/retry() equivalents, since that determines whether this stays a long-term dependency.