- What is sunchayn/chisel-extended and how is it different from Chisel?
- sunchayn/chisel-extended is an add-on for the Chisel Laravel package. Chisel itself is a toolkit for building scripts that remove unwanted code, files, and dependencies, and this extension layers extra helpers, Blade components, and integrations on top of that core. You still rely on Chisel for the underlying scripting behavior, but the extension cuts boilerplate and adds conveniences you would otherwise write yourself. It is designed to work with minimal configuration beyond installing it with Composer.
- How do I install sunchayn/chisel-extended in a Laravel application?
- Install it with Composer by running composer require sunchayn/chisel-extended from the root of your Laravel project. Laravel package auto-discovery registers the service provider, so manual registration is normally unnecessary. If the package ships publishable config, views, or components, run php artisan vendor:publish with the tag named in the README. Commit composer.json and composer.lock so the rest of your team gets the same version.
- Do I need the core Chisel package installed as well?
- Yes. This package is explicitly an extension of Chisel, so the core toolkit is a dependency and Composer pulls it in automatically. The extra helpers and Blade components are meant to be used inside Chisel-based scripts rather than as a standalone cleanup tool. If you only need the basic removal workflow, the core package on its own may be enough.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does Chisel Extended support?
- Support tracks the core Chisel package, so check the require constraints in composer.json for the version you plan to install. Composer will fail fast if your PHP version or illuminate/support constraint is incompatible. On older Laravel releases, pin to an earlier tagged version rather than forcing the install. Confirm compatibility against your application's actual framework version before adding it to a shared project.
- What kinds of helpers does the extension add?
- The helpers focus on reducing boilerplate when you write scripts that remove code, files, and dependencies, covering common lookups and wiring so routine tasks take a few lines instead of a custom implementation. The package also ships Blade components for presenting what a script found or changed. Exact helper names and signatures are listed in the package README, and they can change between major versions. Read the upgrade notes before bumping the dependency.
- How do the Blade components help my scripts?
- They let you render output from a Blade template instead of hand-building strings in PHP. That is useful for console summaries or HTML reports describing which files, code, or dependencies a script touched. Because they are ordinary Blade components, you can publish and override their views to match your team's formatting. This keeps presentation concerns out of the script logic itself.
- Is it safe to run Chisel Extended scripts in production?
- This is developer tooling, not request-time application code, so it usually belongs in require-dev and in local or CI environments. Any script that deletes code, files, or dependencies should run against version control so changes are reviewable and reversible. Run it on a branch first, inspect the diff, and only then merge. Do not wire destructive scripts into automated production deployments without explicit approval gates.
- Can I write tests for scripts built with this package?
- Yes. The package is ordinary PHP running inside a Laravel application, so you can cover your scripts with the framework's testing tools and assert on the files or output they produce. Point the script at a temporary fixture directory to keep tests isolated from real project files. Blade components can be rendered and asserted the same way as any other component test. This is especially valuable for removal scripts, where a regression could delete the wrong thing.
- How do I publish and customize the package configuration?
- After installing, run php artisan vendor:publish and choose the tag documented in the README to copy config, views, or components into your application. Published files take precedence over package defaults, so you can adjust integrations without forking the package. Keep those files in version control and re-check them after upgrades, since new options are often added. If no config is published, the defaults are used as-is.
- Is the package actively maintained, and what are the alternatives?
- Check Packagist and the repository's release history and issue tracker for current maintenance status before adopting it in a long-lived project. If it lags behind your Laravel version, core Chisel plus your own Artisan commands covers much of the same ground. Generic refactoring and cleanup tools exist, but few are Laravel-specific, so weigh the integration convenience against long-term support. Pinning a known-good version is a reasonable stopgap.