Getting Started

Since 3.5.0 only adds Laravel 12 support, the first thing to confirm is compatibility, not new APIs.

Check your PHP version. Laravel 12 requires PHP 8.2+, so the package's constraint will have been bumped accordingly.
Install/upgrade:
```
composer require vendor/package:^3.5
```
If you're already on ^3.x, a plain composer update vendor/package is usually enough — 3.5.0 is a minor release, so no breaking changes are expected.
Look first at: composer.json (Laravel/framework + PHP constraints), CHANGELOG.md, and the package's service provider for anything touching framework internals (pagination, validation rules, console commands, migrations).
First use case: wire the package into a single feature or test suite and run php artisan test on Laravel 12 before rolling it across the app. Treat 3.5.0 as a "prove it works on L12" release — the day-to-day API is unchanged.

Implementation Patterns

Pin the constraint deliberately. Use ^3.5 in composer.json if you need Laravel 12 support guaranteed, rather than a loose *.
Test matrix pattern. If you maintain your own packages alongside this one, mirror the L12 support in your CI matrix (php: 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 × laravel: 11, 12).
Staged upgrade. Bump the package on a branch, run the full suite, then merge — this isolates any L12 framework-related breakage from your own code changes.
Isolate the package behind a thin wrapper/adapter in your app (a service class or repository) so a future major version doesn't ripple through your codebase.
In tests, continue to use the package's own fakes/helpers if provided; a compatibility release gives no new APIs to adopt, so your existing test patterns stay valid.

Minor version ≠ no risk. "Laravel 12 support" can be implemented by dropping support for older Laravel/PHP versions. Check the composer.json constraints before upgrading — if the package dropped Laravel 10 or PHP 8.1, your CI or another dependency may break.
Lockfile drift. Run composer update vendor/package --with-dependencies only if the framework constraints require it; otherwise a targeted update avoids pulling unrelated upgrades.
Clear caches after upgrading: php artisan config:clear && php artisan cache:clear && composer dump-autoload.
Package auto-discovery is cached in bootstrap/cache/packages.php — if the provider seems missing after upgrade, delete that file.
Debugging L12 issues: check storage/logs/laravel.log and run the package's test suite directly; deprecations from framework internals usually surface as E_DEPRECATED notices rather than fatal errors.
Extension points: a minor release normally doesn't change config keys or published assets. If you've overridden package config or published migrations, diff the package's config/ and database/migrations/ stubs after upgrading to confirm nothing shifted.
Watch for a follow-up patch. Compatibility releases often get 3.5.1/3.5.2 quickly for edge-case fixes; pin to ^3.5 so you pick those up automatically.