Laravel Devtools Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation Add the package via Composer:

   composer require sikessem/laravel-devtools --dev
   

   Publish the config (if needed):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Sikessem\DevTools\DevToolsServiceProvider" --tag="config"
   

2. First Use Case Run the devtools:serve command to start a local development server with built-in debugging tools:

   php artisan devtools:serve
   

   Access the dashboard at http://localhost:8000/devtools.

3. Key Features to Explore

   • Request Inspector: View incoming HTTP requests in real-time.
   • Database Query Logger: Log and analyze SQL queries.
   • Route Debugger: Inspect registered routes and their parameters.
   • Artisan Command Tester: Test Artisan commands interactively.

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Debugging HTTP Requests Use the Request Inspector to log and inspect incoming requests during development:

   // Enable request logging in a route or middleware
   use Sikessem\DevTools\Facades\DevTools;
   
   Route::get('/debug', function () {
       DevTools::logRequest(); // Logs the current request
       return response()->json(['status' => 'logged']);
   });
   

2. Query Analysis Enable the query logger in config/devtools.php:

   'query_logger' => [
       'enabled' => env('DB_QUERY_LOGGER_ENABLED', true),
   ],
   

   View logged queries in the Database tab of the DevTools dashboard.

3. Route Debugging Use the Route Debugger to inspect routes dynamically:

   php artisan devtools:routes
   

   Or integrate it into your routes file:

   Route::get('/debug-routes', function () {
       return DevTools::debugRoutes();
   });
   

4. Artisan Command Testing Test commands interactively without running them in the terminal:

   use Sikessem\DevTools\Facades\DevTools;
   
   Route::get('/test-command', function () {
       return DevTools::testCommand('migrate:fresh --seed');
   });
   

5. Middleware Integration Add DevTools middleware to log requests globally:

   // In app/Http/Kernel.php
   protected $middleware = [
       \Sikessem\DevTools\Http\Middleware\LogRequests::class,
   ];
   

Integration Tips

• Laravel Mix/Vite: Use DevTools to inspect asset compilation logs by enabling the asset_logger in the config.
• Queue Workers: Monitor queue jobs in real-time using the Queue Inspector tab.
• Event Debugging: Log dispatched events with:

  DevTools::logEvent($event);
  

• Custom Tabs: Extend the dashboard by creating custom tabs (see Extension Points).

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Performance Overhead

   • The package adds overhead to request processing. Disable unused features in config/devtools.php for production-like environments:

     'enabled' => env('DEVTOOLS_ENABLED', false),
     

   • Avoid using devtools:serve in production.

2. Query Logger Conflicts

   • If using other query loggers (e.g., Laravel Debugbar), disable the DevTools query logger to prevent duplicate logs.

3. Route Caching Issues

   • Clear route cache after adding/removing routes if the Route Debugger doesn’t reflect changes:

     php artisan route:clear
     

4. Session Storage

   • DevTools stores data in the session. Ensure your session driver is configured correctly (e.g., file, database).

5. Archived Package Risks

   • The package is archived, meaning no new updates are expected. Use with caution in long-term projects. Consider forking or replacing with alternatives like barryvdh/laravel-debugbar or nunomaduro/collision.

Debugging Tips

1. Log Clearance Clear DevTools logs manually via:

   php artisan devtools:clear
   

   Or programmatically:

   DevTools::clearLogs();
   

2. Configuration Quirks

   • The devtools:serve command defaults to port 8000. Change it in config/devtools.php:

     'server' => [
         'port' => 8080,
     ],
     

   • Ensure the devtools middleware is not registered in app/Http/Kernel.php for production.

3. Custom Data Logging Log custom data to the dashboard:

   DevTools::logCustom('user_action', ['action' => 'login', 'user_id' => 1]);
   

Extension Points

1. Custom Dashboard Tabs Extend the dashboard by creating a service provider:

   use Sikessem\DevTools\Contracts\DevToolsTab;
   
   class CustomTab implements DevToolsTab {
       public function name() { return 'Custom Tab'; }
       public function view() { return 'devtools::custom.tab'; }
       public function data() { return ['key' => 'value']; }
   }
   

   Register it in config/devtools.php:

   'tabs' => [
       \App\Providers\CustomTab::class,
   ],
   

2. Event Listeners Listen for DevTools events (e.g., DevToolsRequestLogged):

   use Sikessem\DevTools\Events\RequestLogged;
   
   Event::listen(RequestLogged::class, function ($event) {
       // Custom logic when a request is logged
   });
   

3. Override Views Publish and override DevTools views:

   php artisan vendor:publish --tag="devtools-views"
   

   Modify files in resources/views/vendor/devtools/.

4. API Access Access DevTools data via HTTP API (if enabled in config):

   $logs = DevTools::api()->getLogs();