- What is rumenx/php-assets used for?
- It is a PHP library for managing frontend assets from the backend. It helps register, combine, minify, version, and cache CSS and JavaScript files, then render the resulting tags in your templates. It works with plain PHP, Laravel, and Symfony without special configuration.
- Does rumenx/php-assets work with Laravel?
- Yes. The package is framework-agnostic at its core and includes Laravel integration with Composer auto-discovery. You can install it with Composer and publish its configuration file. The same core also works in plain PHP and Symfony applications.
- Is rumenx/php-assets a replacement for Vite or Laravel Mix?
- No. It is not a bundler and does not replace Vite, Webpack, or Laravel Mix. It manages the bookkeeping around already-built artifacts: grouping, dependency ordering, versioning, caching, and tag rendering. Use it as the asset registration layer, not as a build tool.
- How do I install rumenx/php-assets?
- Install it through Composer as rumenx/php-assets. In Laravel, package auto-discovery registers the service provider, and you typically publish the configuration file. For plain PHP or Symfony, follow the framework adapter setup in the repository README.
- Does rumenx/php-assets compile Sass or transpile JavaScript?
- No. It manages frontend assets in the backend but does not compile Sass, Less, TypeScript, or ES modules. You still need your normal build tool for preprocessing and bundling. This package then organizes and serves the built CSS and JS files.
- How does rumenx/php-assets handle cache busting?
- The package provides asset versioning and cache management for CSS and JavaScript. The exact mechanism, such as file modification time, content hashing, or a generated manifest, should be confirmed in the repository documentation before production use. A deterministic versioning strategy matters for multi-node deployments.
- Can I use rumenx/php-assets in plain PHP and Symfony?
- Yes. The core is framework-agnostic, so it works in plain PHP applications and Symfony services as well as Laravel. Laravel adds convenience through auto-discovery and configuration publishing. The same asset registration model applies across frameworks.
- Does rumenx/php-assets require Node.js in production?
- No. It is a Composer-installed PHP package, so it does not require Node.js or npm at runtime. You can use it in deployments where you do not want a Node toolchain in the path. You may still use Node-based tools separately to build your frontend assets.
- Is rumenx/php-assets production-ready?
- It is a lightweight package with a recent release and a small dependency surface, but it has a low bus factor and limited public production history. Treat adoption as a pilot: pin an exact version, wrap the API behind your own asset registry interface, and test the rollback path. The failure mode is usually cosmetic, such as stale or missing assets, rather than data loss.
- How does rumenx/php-assets compare with Laravel Mix or Vite?
- Laravel Mix and Vite are build tools that bundle, transform, and hot-reload frontend code. rumenx/php-assets does not do those jobs; it manages registration, ordering, versioning, caching, and rendering of assets that are already built. For Laravel apps with a modest frontend surface and no Node toolchain in deployment, it can simplify asset bookkeeping.