Laravel Stisla Laravel Package

Getting Started

• Install via Composer: composer require rdp77/laravel-stisla. This is a fresh v1.0.1 release, so expect basic scaffolding rather than a mature ecosystem.
• Publish the package assets and config: php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Rdp77\LaravelStisla\LaravelStislaServiceProvider". Check the service provider for available tags (e.g. laravel-stisla-config, laravel-stisla-views, laravel-stisla-assets).
• Look first at config/laravel-stisla.php (if published) and the package’s resources/views directory. The Stisla admin layout is the primary entry point.
• First use case: replace Laravel’s default welcome or auth views with the Stisla layout. Extend the provided layout in a Blade file: @extends('stisla::layouts.app') and define @section('content'). Alternatively, publish the package views and override them under resources/views/vendor/laravel-stisla.

Implementation Patterns

• Layout inheritance: Use the package’s Blade layout as a base for admin pages. Define sections for title, content, scripts, and styles as exposed by the layout. Check the layout file for exact section names.
• Auth scaffolding: The package may ship basic auth views (login, register, password reset) styled with Stisla. Publish them and point Laravel’s auth routes to the package’s controllers or override the default Auth views. If not included, copy the layout into your own auth views.
• Menu/sidebar configuration: Many admin packages expose a config array for sidebar items. Inspect config/laravel-stisla.php for a menu or navigation key. You can define route names, icons, and permissions there, then render via a Blade partial (@include('stisla::partials.sidebar')).
• Asset pipeline: The package likely includes precompiled Stisla CSS/JS under public/vendor/laravel-stisla. If you need to customise SCSS, publish the assets and integrate with Laravel Mix/Vite. Avoid mixing with another Bootstrap version—Stisla uses Bootstrap 4.
• Middleware integration: Apply the admin layout only to authenticated routes by grouping routes with auth middleware and using a controller that returns views extending the Stisla layout. You can also create a base AdminController that sets a $layout property.
• Overriding views: Publish views with --tag=laravel-stisla-views then edit files in resources/views/vendor/laravel-stisla. Laravel’s view finder will prefer your overrides automatically.

Gotchas and Tips

• Early release volatility: v1.0.1 is the first tagged release with only “basic feature” and “Implement stisla UI”. Expect API changes. Pin the version in composer.json (e.g. "rdp77/laravel-stisla": "1.0.1") and review changelogs before upgrading.
• Composer dependency conflicts: The composer.json update in this release may adjust Laravel or PHP version constraints. Run composer update rdp77/laravel-stisla and check for conflicts with your existing packages, especially laravel/framework and bootstrap.
• Asset publishing quirks: If vendor:publish does not copy assets, verify the service provider’s publishes() method. Use php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Rdp77\LaravelStisla\LaravelStislaServiceProvider" --force to overwrite. After publishing views, run php artisan view:clear to avoid stale compiled views.
• Debugging missing styles: Ensure asset URLs use Laravel’s asset() helper and that APP_URL is correct. If assets are served from public/vendor/laravel-stisla, confirm the public disk symlink is not required (the package likely copies directly).
• Extension points: The package may expose Blade components or directives (e.g. @stislaScripts). Check the service provider for Blade::directive calls. You can also listen to package events if any are dispatched, or extend the layout by publishing and editing it.
• No documentation yet: With only three PRs, expect sparse docs. Rely on reading the package source (especially src/ and resources/views/) and the Stisla upstream template documentation for UI components.