Kint Laravel Package

Getting Started

1. Install via Composer: composer require --dev raveren/kint
2. In your code, replace var_dump() or dd() with d($variable) or k($variable)
3. For global availability, include Kint::dump($var); or ensure autoloading loads vendor/autoload.php (it works out-of-the-box with Composer)
4. First use: call d($_SERVER) in a script — Kint will render a beautifully formatted, collapsible output with type info, memory usage, and structure — far more readable than native dumps

Implementation Patterns

• Conditional debugging: Wrap d() calls inside if (env('APP_DEBUG')) or use Kint::$enabled = true/false; to toggle globally
• Trace execution: Use Kint::trace(); to dump the call stack with arguments and source locations
• Enhanced dd() replacement: Create ddd() helper: function ddd(...$vars) { Kint::dump(...$vars); die; }
• Contextual filtering: Use Kint::enabled() with environment checks or custom rules (e.g., only for admin IPs)
• CLI debugging: Set Kint::$mode = 'cli'; for terminal-friendly output ( ANSI color, tree view without HTML)

Gotchas and Tips

• Output buffering: Kint injects HTML unless in CLI — avoid conflicts by ensuring no prior output or wrapping calls in ob_start() / ob_get_clean() if needed
• Theme customization: Use Kint::$theme = 'monokai'; or build custom CSS classes via Kint::$renderer_classes
• Hidden properties: By default, Kint skips private/protected properties of internal classes — override with Kint::$aliases or Kint::$max_depth
• Performance: Avoid leaving d() calls in production — Kint adds overhead and may leak sensitive data; use config flags or environment checks
• Static analysis conflict: Tools like PHPStan may complain about undefined d() — add it to bootstrap.php or define a stub in .phpstorm.meta.php or phpstan.neon
• Extensibility: Implement Kint\Renderer\RendererInterface to build custom output (e.g., JSON logging) or extend Kint\Parser\Parser for custom object parsing