- What does ybr-nx/laravel-mariadb do?
- It adds first-class MariaDB JSON select support to Laravel through a dedicated database driver and schema grammar. The goal is to make MariaDB-specific JSON path selects work more smoothly with Eloquent, migrations, and the query builder. It is a query-layer compatibility shim rather than a full JSON platform or document database layer.
- How do I install ybr-nx/laravel-mariadb in a Laravel app?
- Install it with Composer using composer require ybr-nx/laravel-mariadb, then confirm whether Laravel auto-discovery registers the service provider. You will likely need to configure your MariaDB connection to use the package driver or grammar as described in the README. No major schema migration should be required for a basic setup.
- Which Laravel, PHP, and MariaDB versions does this package support?
- The exact supported matrix should be verified against the package composer.json, README, and release history before adopting it. Validate the package against the specific Laravel, PHP, and MariaDB versions already running in your application. Test MariaDB 10.x variants, collations, and JSON path edge cases if those are part of your environment.
- How is MariaDB JSON different from MySQL JSON?
- MariaDB JSON is effectively LONGTEXT with JSON validation, not a native binary JSON type like MySQL. That means path semantics, indexing options, null and missing-value behavior, and performance characteristics can differ from MySQL. You should not assume full MySQL JSON parity just because both databases accept JSON documents.
- Does this package make MariaDB JSON fully compatible with MySQL JSON?
- No, the package is focused on MariaDB JSON select support in Laravel and does not claim full MySQL JSON parity. It does not solve JSON indexing, schema design, validation, write semantics, or cross-database portability. Treat it as a targeted compatibility aid for read-path JSON selection, not a complete JSON abstraction.
- Does it support whereJsonContains and other Laravel JSON query methods?
- The package is primarily described as MariaDB JSON select support, so you should not assume every Laravel JSON query builder method is covered. Before relying on whereJsonContains, whereJsonLength, nested paths, arrays, unicode, and null or missing values, add contract tests for the exact methods you use. If a method is not supported, keep a raw SQL or generated-column fallback.
- Will it change the query grammar for my other database connections?
- The package is intended as a dedicated MariaDB driver and schema grammar, so it should be scoped to the configured connection rather than globally altering every database. Still, confirm in a test environment that existing MySQL or other connections are unaffected. If your app uses multiple database connections, run integration tests across all of them.
- Is ybr-nx/laravel-mariadb safe to use in production?
- It can be a practical tactical fit for Laravel apps already standardized on MariaDB with real JSON select pain points, especially when queries are isolated behind repositories or query objects. Risk increases because the package is coupled to Laravel query grammar internals and appears to have a small maintainer base. Pin the version, run a compatibility spike, canary it on a reporting or read-only path, and roll out behind a feature flag with rollback.
- Can this package improve JSON query performance on MariaDB?
- The package improves compatibility for JSON selects, but it does not make MariaDB JSON columns indexed or remove the performance limits of text-based JSON storage. JSON selects can still trigger scans, sorts, and large intermediate results, so avoid them on latency-sensitive paths unless backed by generated columns, indexes, or precomputed fields. Limit path depth, payload size, and result sets, and monitor slow queries.
- What is the fallback if a Laravel upgrade breaks the package?
- Keep raw SQL or generated-column fallbacks available for your most important JSON queries so you are not blocked by grammar changes. Pin the package version, monitor the repository, and budget periodic compatibility checks against Laravel and MariaDB upgrades. Maintain contract tests for representative JSON payloads and keep a fork or vendoring contingency if the package becomes incompatible or unmaintained.