Exporter Laravel Package

Getting Started

Install as a dev dependency:

composer require --dev sebastian/exporter

Begin by replacing var_dump()/dd() calls in tests or CLI debugging with Exporter. Instantiate once (it’s lightweight and stateless beyond config), then use:

use SebastianBergmann\Exporter\Exporter;

$exporter = new Exporter;
dump($exporter->export($someComplexObject));

The README Usage section is the best starting point—skip the changelog and jump straight to the simple types and complex types examples.

Implementation Patterns

• Test Helper Trait: Create a reusable trait for PHPUnit tests to ensure consistent, readable failure output:

  trait ExportsVariables {
      protected function export($var, bool $compact = false): string {
          static $exporter;
          $exporter ??= new Exporter(null, 50, 100); // configurable limits
          return $compact ? $exporter->shortenedExport($var) : $exporter->export($var);
      }
  }
  

• Debug Function Wrapper: Extend Laravel’s dump() with cleaner, recursive-safe output:

  function d(...$vars) {
      $exporter = new Exporter;
      foreach ($vars as $var) {
          fwrite(STDERR, $exporter->export($var) . "\n");
      }
      return $vars[0] ?? null;
  }
  

• Eloquent/Collections Debugging: Safely export Collection or Model instances—even with lazy relationships—without triggeringN+1 queries (thanks to lazy-object skipping since v6.2.0).
• Assertion Context: In custom PHPUnit assertions, use shortenedExport() to show concise diffs:

  $this->assertSame(
      $expected, 
      $actual, 
      'Expected ' . $exporter->shortenedExport($expected) . ' but got ' . $exporter->shortenedExport($actual)
  );
  

• Configurable Limits: Preconfigure for test suites (smaller arrays/strings) vs. full debugging (larger limits):

  new Exporter(null, 25, 200); // maxElements = 25, maxString = 200 chars
  

Gotchas and Tips

• PHP 8.5+ Compatibility: Older versions (≤6.3.1, ≤7.0.0) emit warnings for NAN/INF and casts. Pin to ^7.0.2 or ^6.3.2 if using PHP 8.5+.
• shortenedExport() Truncation: Aggressively shortens long strings/arrays—fine for assertion summaries, but use export() for full debugging. Watch for truncated nested structures where recursion markers (&0) may be lost.
• Constructor Signature: In v6.3.0+, the only way to set string length limit is via constructor args (method args deprecated). Order is (int|null $maxElements = null, int $maxString = 100).
• Resource Safety: Exporting resources (e.g., streams, sockets) is safe for diagnostics—but never in production logs. Avoid exporting unknown resource types: they may hold open handles.
• IDE Conflicts: If Xdebug’s xdebug.var_display_max_depth overrides dumps, set it to -1 (unlimited) or -2 (respect max depth) for consistency. Exporter ignores Xdebug config, so output remains predictable across environments.
• Performance: For massive arrays (e.g., large config dumps), shortenedExport() with maxElements=10 is ~5x faster than full export()—ideal for CI failure summaries. Profile with microtime(true) before/after in non-critical paths.
• Version Stability: The repo shows a 2026 release date—this is a placeholder. Check Packagist for the actual latest stable (currently v7.x). Laravel ≥10.x supports up to PHP 8.2; v7.x of this package drops support for PHP 8.2+, so lock versions carefully if targeting PHP 8.3+ Laravel projects.