Profiler Pack Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require symfony/profiler-pack
   

   • Works seamlessly with Symfony Flex (auto-configures for Symfony 4.4+).
   • For older Symfony versions, manually enable the web_profiler bundle in config/bundles.php.

2. First Use Case:

   • Debug a Controller: Access /_profiler/ (or /_wdt for Web Debug Toolbar) after a request.
   • View Data Collectors: Click the "Profiler" tab to inspect:
     • Request/response details
     • Doctrine queries (if doctrine/doctrine-bundle is installed)
     • Twig template rendering times
     • Cache statistics

3. Key Files to Review:

   • config/packages/dev/web_profiler.yaml (default configuration).
   • var/cache/dev/app_profiler.php (generated profiler data).

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Debugging Requests:

   • Use the Web Debug Toolbar (top-right corner) to:
     • Toggle profiler visibility (?_profiler=1).
     • Filter by request method/URI.
   • Example: Add ?_error_handler=1 to see uncaught exceptions in detail.

2. Custom Data Collectors:

   • Extend Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\DataCollector\DataCollectorInterface:

     // src/DataCollector/MyCollector.php
     class MyCollector implements DataCollectorInterface {
         public function collect(Request $request, Responder $responder, \Exception $exception = null) {
             $this->data['custom_metric'] = microtime(true);
         }
         public function getName() { return 'my_collector'; }
         public function get() { return $this->data; }
     }
     

   • Register in config/services.yaml:

     services:
         App\DataCollector\MyCollector:
             tags: ['data_collector']
     

3. Integration with Tests:

   • Use Symfony\Bundle\DebugBundle\DataCollector\RouterDataCollector in PHPUnit:

     $client = static::createClient();
     $client->request('GET', '/');
     $profiler = $client->getProfile();
     $this->assertEquals(200, $profiler->getResponse()->getStatusCode());
     

4. Performance Profiling:

   • Timeline View: Analyze request execution flow (e.g., Doctrine queries, Twig rendering).
   • Memory Usage: Check memory tab for leaks (e.g., during bulk operations).

5. Environment-Specific Setup:

   • Disable in production (config/packages/prod/web_profiler.yaml):

     web_profiler: false
     

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Performance Overhead:

   • Profiler adds ~10-30ms per request. Disable in staging/prod:

     # config/packages/prod/web_profiler.yaml
     web_profiler: false
     stoplight: false
     

2. Caching Issues:

   • Clear cache after adding custom collectors:

     php bin/console cache:clear
     

   • Profiler data is stored in var/cache/dev/app_profiler.php (delete manually if corrupted).

3. Router Conflicts:

   • Avoid naming routes /_profiler or /_wdt (profiler routes are auto-registered).
   • Fix: Use _profiler as a query parameter (?_profiler=1) instead of a route.

4. Doctrine DataCollector Missing:

   • Requires doctrine/doctrine-bundle and doctrine/orm:

     composer require doctrine/doctrine-bundle
     

5. CSRF Token Errors:

   • Profiler toolbar may fail if CSRF protection is enabled. Exclude /_profiler in config/packages/security.yaml:

     access_control:
         - { path: ^/_profiler, roles: IS_AUTHENTICATED_ANONYMOUSLY }
     

Debugging Tips

1. Enable Verbose Logging:

   php bin/console debug:config symfony.web_profiler
   

   • Check web_profiler.enabled and stoplight.enabled.

2. Inspect Collectors:

   • List available collectors:

     php bin/console debug:container --tag=data_collector
     

3. Profiler Not Showing:

   • Ensure APP_ENV=dev in .env.
   • Check var/cache/dev/app_profiler.php exists (regenerate with cache:clear).

4. Custom Collector Not Displaying:

   • Verify the collector implements all required methods (collect(), getName(), get()).
   • Check Symfony’s event dispatcher logs for errors.

Extension Points

1. Override Profiler Templates:

   • Copy vendor/symfony/web-profiler-bundle/Resources/views/ to templates/bundles/webprofiler/ and override (e.g., toolbar.html.twig).

2. Add Profiler to API Responses:

   • Use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response::setProfilerData():

     $response = new Response();
     $response->setProfilerData(['custom' => 'data']);
     

3. Integrate with Blackfire:

   • Install blackfire/php-profiler and configure web_profiler to use Blackfire’s data:

     web_profiler:
         blackfire: true
     

4. Custom Profiler Storage:

   • Extend Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\DataCollector\Storage\PhpFileStorage to log data to a database or external service.