Getting Started

Installation:
```
composer require spatie/laravel-artisan-dd
```
No additional configuration is required—just publish the package.
First Use Case: Run a quick dd()-like dump from the command line:
```
php artisan dd "User::first()"
```
This will output the first user record in a readable format, halting execution (just like dd() in code).
Where to Look First:
- README for basic usage.
- Artisan Command Documentation for context on how commands work in Laravel.
- The package’s GitHub Issues for edge cases or feature requests.

Implementation Patterns

Debugging Queries or Models:
```
php artisan dd "User::where('active', true)->get()"
```
Useful for inspecting Eloquent results without booting Tinker.
Testing Configuration Values:
```
php artisan dd "config('app.debug')"
```
Quickly verify app settings during development.

Inspecting Service Container Bindings:

php artisan dd "app()->bound('App\\Services\\SomeService') ? app('App\\Services\\SomeService') : 'Not bound'"

Check if a service is registered and its state.

Debugging Middleware or Route Logic:
```
php artisan dd "request()->headers->all()"
```
Dump request data directly from the CLI.
Integration with CI/CD: Add to scripts in package.json or Makefile for automated debugging:
```
{
  "scripts": {
    "debug:user": "php artisan dd \"User::first()\""
  }
}
```
Combining with Other Artisan Commands: Pipe output to other tools (e.g., jq for JSON parsing):
```
php artisan dd "User::first()" | jq
```

Replace Tinker for One-Liners: Avoid starting Tinker for trivial checks. Use artisan dd for ad-hoc debugging.
Pair with artisan tinker: Use tinker for interactive sessions and dd for quick, scripted checks.
Document Debugging Commands: Add artisan dd commands to a DEBUG.md file in your project for team reference.

Environment-Specific Debugging: Use environment variables to toggle debug commands:
```
if [ "$DEBUG_MODE" = "true" ]; then
  php artisan dd "User::all()->count()"
fi
```
Custom Aliases: Add an alias to your shell config (e.g., ~/.bashrc):
```
alias ddd='php artisan dd'
```
Now use ddd "Model::query()->toSql()" for brevity.
Laravel Forge/Envoyer: Include artisan dd in deployment scripts to verify critical data post-deploy.

Output Truncation: Large datasets may truncate output. Use --no-truncate (if supported) or pipe to a file:
```
php artisan dd "User::all()" > debug_users.txt
```
Note: The package may not support --no-truncate natively; check the issue tracker.
Syntax Errors: PHP syntax errors in the command line will halt execution. Validate syntax first:
```
php -r "User::first();"  # Test syntax before using `artisan dd`
```
Environment Mismatches: Ensure the command runs in the correct environment (e.g., .env variables may differ between local/staging/prod). Use:
```
php artisan dd "app()->environment()"  # Verify environment
```
Performance Impact: Avoid running dd on production-like data in development. Use --force cautiously:
```
php artisan dd --force "User::with('posts')->get()"  # May be slow!
```
Dependency on Laravel Context: The command runs within Laravel’s context, so:
- Database connections must be configured.
- Service providers must be registered (e.g., AppServiceProvider).
- Use php artisan dd "new \App\Models\User" for stateless checks.

Inspect Command Logic: The package adds a dd command to app/Console/Kernel.php. Override it for custom behavior:
```
protected $commands = [
    \Spatie\ArtisanDd\ArtisanDdCommand::class,
    // Custom commands...
];
```
Check for Updates: The package is actively maintained (last release: 2026). Update regularly:
```
composer update spatie/laravel-artisan-dd
```
Fallback to Tinker: If artisan dd fails, fall back to Tinker:
```
php artisan tinker --execute="User::first(); exit;"
```

Combine with tap for Chaining: Use Laravel’s tap() to inspect intermediate results:
```
php artisan dd "User::first()->tap(fn($user) => dd($user->posts))"
```

Debug Exceptions: Catch exceptions in the command line:

php artisan dd "try { User::find(999); } catch (\Exception $e) { dd($e->getMessage()); }"

Use with Laravel Sail: Debug containers directly:
```
sail artisan dd "DB::connection()->getPdo()"
```

Custom Formatting: Extend the package by overriding the dump() method in a service provider:

use Spatie\ArtisanDd\ArtisanDdCommand;

ArtisanDdCommand::macro('customDump', function ($value) {
    dd(json_encode($value, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT));
});

Then use:

php artisan dd "User::first(); customDump(User::all())"

Log Output to File: Redirect output for later analysis:
```
php artisan dd "User::all()" > /tmp/debug_users.log
```

Performance Profiling: Measure execution time:

php artisan dd "User::all(); dd(microtime(true) - LARAVEL_START);"