Laravel Snip Laravel Package

Getting Started

• Install the package per its docs, then publish its assets: php artisan vendor:publish --tag=snip-assets. After upgrading, re-run with --force.
• In .env, set SNIP_MAIL_CATCH=true (recommended as of v0.3.6). This replaces the older MAIL_MAILER=snip approach for most apps.
• Restart long-running workers after changing the env: php artisan queue:restart (or php artisan horizon:terminate for Horizon).
• Open the package playground and go to the Mail tab → Inbox. Send a mail from Tinker, a local route, or a test command; it should appear in the inbox instead of being delivered.
• First use case: debug transactional mail locally—recipients, subject, HTML/text rendering, headers—without configuring SMTP or risking real sends.

Implementation Patterns

• Use the catch-all switch for multi-mailer apps. If your app selects mailers per message (e.g. Mail::mailer('shop_sk')->to(...)->send(...)), SNIP_MAIL_CATCH=true catches those too. Do not rely on setting each mailer to snip.
• Keep the env local-only. Add SNIP_MAIL_CATCH=true to your local .env/.env.local and keep it unset or false in shared/staging/production environments.
• Queue workflow: after toggling the env, restart workers so they pick it up. Use the playground’s “catch a new mail the way a queue worker would” button to verify queued mailables are captured as a worker would see them—useful when debugging serialization, after deploy, or when the inbox is unexpectedly empty.
• Template iteration: send the same mailable repeatedly and refresh the Mail tab’s Inbox to inspect rendered output. This is faster than round-tripping through an external SMTP catcher for small Blade changes.
• Upgrade workflow: update the package, republish assets with --force, clear cached config if needed (php artisan config:clear), restart workers, then confirm the Mail tab shows the new inbox/setup guidance.

Gotchas and Tips

• MAIL_MAILER=snip only caught mail sent through the default mailer. Per-mail Mail::mailer('...') calls bypassed it and still sent. Switch to SNIP_MAIL_CATCH=true if you use multiple mailers.
• Long-running queue workers will not see a changed SNIP_MAIL_CATCH until restarted. The empty inbox reminder in v0.3.6 is specifically pointing at this.
• vendor:publish --tag=snip-assets --force overwrites published assets. If you customized playground views/assets, diff or back them up before forcing.
• If mail still sends locally, check in order: env value is actually loaded, config cache cleared, queue worker/Horizon restarted, and the package’s docs for any mailer/transport limitations.
• Keep the playground inaccessible outside local/dev. Review the published config/assets for route and middleware settings, and gate it behind local environment checks or auth as needed.
• Republish assets after every package update; stale assets can hide new Mail tab controls or the queue-worker simulation button.