Debug Laravel Package

Product Decisions This Supports

• Developer Productivity & Debugging: Accelerates issue resolution by providing a unified, browser-based debugging interface (Clockwork) for REDAXO CMS, reducing manual log inspection and guesswork. Enables faster iteration during feature development or bug fixes.
• Performance Optimization: Integrates with REDAXO’s core systems (database queries, timers, extensions) to surface bottlenecks (e.g., slow SQL, cache misses) without instrumenting code manually. Aligns with roadmap goals for performance-driven features.
• Build vs. Buy: Avoids reinventing a debugging tool for REDAXO; leverages mature, battle-tested Clockwork infrastructure. Low maintenance cost (MIT license, minimal overhead).
• Use Cases:
  • Debugging complex REDAXO workflows (e.g., extension interactions, database-heavy operations).
  • Profiling custom plugins or themes during development.
  • Troubleshooting edge cases in staging/production-like environments (via local testing).
  • Onboarding new developers to REDAXO’s internals by visualizing core processes.

When to Consider This Package

• Adopt if:
  • Your team develops or maintains REDAXO-based applications and lacks a centralized debugging tool.
  • You prioritize developer velocity over minimalist debugging (e.g., var_dump or Xdebug alone).
  • Your stack includes REDAXO’s core classes (database, logging, extensions) and you want to monitor them without code changes.
  • You’re okay with browser-based tools (Clockwork’s UI may not suit CLI-heavy workflows).
• Look elsewhere if:
  • You need production-grade debugging (this is dev-only; Clockwork isn’t designed for live monitoring).
  • Your team prefers IDE-based tools (e.g., PHPStorm/Xdebug) or logging frameworks (e.g., Monolog).
  • You’re using REDAXO in a headless/CLI-only environment (Clockwork is HTTP-focused).
  • You require advanced profiling (e.g., memory usage, CPU traces) beyond what Clockwork offers.
  • Your project has strict security policies against browser-based dev tools in shared environments.

How to Pitch It (Stakeholders)

For Executives: "This package integrates Clockwork, a browser-based dev tool, into REDAXO to give our team real-time visibility into database queries, performance bottlenecks, and extension interactions—without writing custom logs. It’s like a ‘black box recorder’ for our CMS, cutting debugging time by 30–50% during development. Since it’s MIT-licensed and built on a proven tool, it’s a low-risk way to supercharge our dev workflows. Ideal for teams building or maintaining REDAXO sites where speed and clarity matter."

For Engineering: *"The redaxo/debug addon wraps Clockwork, letting us monitor:

• Database queries (slow SQL, parameter binding),
• Extension interactions (hook/extension point calls),
• Performance timers (e.g., page load breakdowns),
• Logs and events—all in a browser UI or extension. It’s a zero-config way to debug REDAXO’s core systems. Install it as a dev dependency, and you’re done. Perfect for:
• Debugging custom plugins/themes without sprinkling var_dumps.
• Profiling staging environments before production.
• Onboarding new devs to REDAXO’s internals. Downside: Clockwork is HTTP-only (no CLI support), and it’s dev-mode only. But for browser-based REDAXO work, it’s a game-changer."*