Laravel Lift Laravel Package

Getting Started

1. Install the package via Composer:

   composer require wendelladriel/laravel-lift
   

2. Start with a basic Eloquent model — add #[Property] attributes to declare public properties that mirror your database columns. For example:

   use WendellAdriel\Lift\Attributes\Property;
   
   #[Property]
   class User extends Model
   {
       // No manual $fillable, $casts, or property declarations needed!
   }
   

   Lift will auto-generate public properties (e.g., public string $name), infer types from column definitions, and handle casts automatically — all visible to your IDE.

3. First use case: rapid model scaffolding with validation & rules embedded

   use WendellAdriel\Lift\Attributes\Property;
   use WendellAdriel\Lift\Attributes\CreateRules;
   use WendellAdriel\Lift\Attributes\UpdateRules;
   
   #[Property]
   #[CreateRules(['email' => 'required|email|unique:users,email'])]
   #[UpdateRules(['email' => 'required|email|unique:users,email,' . $this->id])]
   class User extends Model {}
   

   Rules appear inline, IDE shows them on model usage, and you avoid separate form request boilerplate.

Implementation Patterns

• Model-first development with IDE support

  • Write #[Property] and let Lift generate typed, discoverable properties.
  • Access properties directly (e.g., $user->name) without IDE warnings.

• Inline validation alongside model logic

  • Use #[CreateRules], #[UpdateRules], #[Rules] (for generic rules).
  • Combine with #[Cast] for custom casters (including enums):

    #[Property]
    #[Cast(\App\Casts\StatusCast::class)]
    #[Cast(enum: Status::class)] // enum support since v0.15
    public Status $status;
    

• Relationships via attributes

  • Declare relations inline with #[BelongsTo], #[HasMany], etc., including custom class names and key names:

    #[BelongsTo(User::class, 'author_id', 'id')]
    public User $author;
    

• Event listeners embedded in models

  • Use #[Listener('created')], #[Listener('deleted')] to hook into Eloquent events without separate observers.

• Lift migrations for schema-first work

  • Run php artisan lift:migration to scaffold a migration based on existing model attributes (#[Property], #[Cast], #[Index]), reducing manual migration churn.

Gotchas and Tips

• ⚠️ Experimental — expect breaking changes

  • Only use in greenfield or low-critical code. Lock versions strictly (^0.18), and track releases.

• Eloquent events must be enabled

  • Lift relies on model events (saving, saved, etc.). If Event::dispatch() is disabled (e.g., via static::dispatchEvents() override), some features (like watch/immutable behavior) may not work.

• Name collisions & manual overrides

  • You may optionally define your own public property (e.g., for computed logic) but must use #[IgnoreProperty] to prevent Lift from overwriting it:

    #[IgnoreProperty]
    public string $full_name = '';
    

• Stale property state after refresh

  • Known in v0.13.1: refresh() may leave stale public properties if not handled. Prefer $model->fresh() to reload fresh model instance.

• Enum casting requires explicit declaration

  • #[Cast(enum: MyEnum::class)] is not inferred automatically — specify it manually. Works only for string-backed enums.

• Custom column names in #[Property]

  • Use #[Property(columnName: 'db_field')] when PHP property name ≠ DB column. IDE auto-completion works only if column is explicitly mapped.

• IDE support requires proper setup

  • Enable Lift’s IDE metadata (ide.json) or use the included #[Property] pattern — VS Code + Intelephense or PhpStorm work best.

• Immutable & Watched Properties

  • #[Immutable] prevents writes after model creation — great for domain objects. But: immutable only applies to lift-generated properties — custom properties remain mutable.

• Casting nulls safely

  • Null defaults and nullables are inferred, but ensure DB columns allow NULL — mismatches cause silent hydration bugs. Validate with #[Rules(['nullable'])].

• Upgrade path

  • Major version bumps (e.g., Laravel 11 → 12 → 13) are well-supported — check changelog before upgrading. All major versions since v0.14.0 target modern Laravel LTS versions.