Boot Laravel Package

Getting Started

The spiral/boot package provides foundational infrastructure for bootstrapping Spiral-based applications—primarily as part of the Spiral Framework kernel. It’s not typically used in isolation. To get started:

• Install as part of a Spiral Framework application (spiral/framework pulls it in as a dependency).
• Examine spiral/framework’s kernel configuration and bootloader chain (config/boot.php, src/Application/Kernel.php).
• Start by extending Spiral\Boot\Bootloader\Bootloader to build your own custom bootloaders.
• First practical use: inject Spiral\Boot\BootloaderManager or use the framework’s Kernel to manage bootloader lifecycle and dependency resolution.

Implementation Patterns

• Custom Bootloaders: Define your own bootloaders by extending Spiral\Boot\Bootloader\Bootloader. Use boot() method for initialization logic, init() for one-time setup, and depended() for service dependencies (implement DependedInterface).
• Bootloader Dependency Chain: Bootloaders declare dependencies via public const DEPENDENCIES = [...]. The BootloaderManager resolves and executes them in topologically correct order.
• Environment Handling: Use Spiral\Boot\EnvironmentInterface (and its implementations) to safely read and mutate environment state during bootstrap (note: immutable by design to prevent race conditions).
• Dispatcher Integration: Use Spiral\Boot\DispatcherInterface (e.g., CommandDispatcher) to dispatch CLI or background tasks during boot (e.g., seeding, migration check).
• Debug & Logging Hooks: Early-stage logging is wired via Spiral\Boot\LoggerInterface (deprecated) and ListenerRegistryInterface; prefer PSR-3 logger injection for production.
• Ioc Scope Management: Since v1.1.11, the manager creates a dedicated IoC scope during booting—ensuring clean separation and avoiding leaks between requests.

Gotchas and Tips

• PHP Version Requirement: Requires PHP ≥8.1 as of v1.2.6 (per composer.json). Older versions (v1.0–v1.1.x) supported PHP 7.2, but current usage demands 8.1+.
• Immutability During Boot: Environment variables are immutable during boot (fixed in v1.2.4). Attempting to mutate them after initialization will throw; use safeSet() or set values before kernel boots (e.g., .env or CLI args).
• No Standalone Usage: This package is internal to Spiral. Using it outside the framework risks breakage—no stable public API beyond Bootloader, EnvironmentInterface, and BootloaderManager.
• Exception Handling: Since v1.1.10, the bootloader manager no longer wraps exceptions—failures propagate directly, simplifying debugging but requiring robust try/catch in boot() if recovery is needed.
• Configuration Interfaces: v1.1.2+ introduced ConfigInterface and related config helpers—prefer Spiral\Core\ConfigInterface (in spiral/core) for config access during boot.
• Finalizers & Termination: Use Spiral\Boot\ListenerRegistryInterface to register cleanup/termination callbacks (e.g., closing DB connections) via addListener(). The terminate() flag in finalizers controls shutdown behavior.
• Namespace Changes: v1.1.0+ changed namespaces to Spiral\Boot\*. Ensure imports aren’t outdated (e.g., old Spiral\Core\Bootloader → now Spiral\Boot\Bootloader).
• Maintenance Status: Last release Apr 2020. Though stable, treat as legacy—prefer official Spiral Framework features over direct use of this package unless maintaining older apps.