c4tech/support

Base classes and traits for API backends.

Laravel Support

A package with a lot of traits and foundational classes to accelerate development. Made with love by C4 Tech and Design., _(*1)

, _(*2)

Foundational Classes

Basic functionality we use in our applications. Normally, we use a Repository pattern to keep the specifics of the database abstracted away as well as cache as much data as possible. Instead of using dependency injection on our controller constructors, we normally use a Facade connected to a singleton instance of the Repository so that we can perform static calls on the repository similar to the default static calls to the model (e.g. User::find($id)). However, the DI method should work with a little bit of setup in the application (mainly, creating the contract and binding resolution in a service provider)., _(*3)

Request

We use Laravel as an API backend to a JavaScript-based frontend. After many internal discussions about camelCase vs snake_case for properties, we decided to use both! This, coupled with our base Model allows automatic translation of defacto JavaScript/JSON camelCase notation and defacto Laravel Model snake_case notation. In other words, use camelCase in JSON and snake_case in PHP., _(*4)

If you want to extend Illuminate\Foundation\Http\FormRequest (a good idea!), copy the C4tech\Support\Request class to your app and change the BaseRequest being extended to FormRequest along with the file's namespace., _(*5)

Controller

Our controller provides a generic response handle and a schema. Instead of calling Response::json() directly in controller methods, use the respond() method which takes an HTTP status code (default = 200) and an optional array of additional headers. Data comes from the Controller's ->data array property. Responses are converted to JSON where possible and returned in a schematized output., _(*6)

Example:, _(*7)

  try {
    $this->data['users'] = User::all();
    $this->data['success'] = true;
  catch (SomeException $error) {
    $this->errors[] = $error->getMessage();
  }
  return $this->respond();

Should return something similar to the following on success:, _(*8)

{
  "success": true,
  "errors": [],
  "data": {
    "users": [
      {...},
      {...},
      ...
    ]
  }
}

and the following on failure:, _(*9)

{
  "success": false,
  "errors": [
    "An error message"
  ],
  "data": {}
}

Repository

Our repository provides a cacheable interface to the underlying model. Getter and Setter methods allow mutating properties automagically, including model relations. Anything not caught by the magic getter/setter method gets pushed back to the model, so model properties are directly accessible on repository instances. Additionally, the boot() method adds model event listeners to flush relevant caches on database changes., _(*10)

The property refering to the underlying model (static $model) is expected to be a reference to a config item but can be a hardcoded class name., _(*11)

Model

Our model provides the DateFilter and JsonableApiModel traits, along with injecting the deleted_at property into the guarded property and getDates()., _(*12)

Traits

We like to keep things as simple as possible. We've got a few traits to provide some nice functionality., _(*13)

DateFilter

Provides query scope builders for date properties so you can write, for example, $user->created_before($date)., _(*14)

JsonableApiModel

Provides functionality to convert arrayable/jsonable properties to camelCase automatically. Uses the c4tech.jsonify_output config variable., _(*15)

JsonableApiRequest

A simple trait for Request classes that automatically converts received properties to snake_case. Uses the c4tech.snakify_json_input config variable., _(*16)

JsonableColumn

Provides methods to be called in a property mutator and accessor to handle transforming data into/from JSON for the DB., _(*17)

Foundational Tests

We like tests. Unit tests for packages, integration and acceptance tests for applications. To make writing tests less copypasta, we've developed several traits and classes just for testing. And, we went all Inception-like and tested our tests., _(*18)

Base

Our base test class for testing. It consumes the Reflectable trait below and provides a tearDown() method to call Mockery::close()., _(*19)

Facade

Simplifies testing for facades by providing a method to ensure the correct facade accessor is returned., _(*20)

Model

Models can do a lot of things, so we make it easy to test models. This test class consumes the Modelable, Presentable, Relatable, and Scopeable traits below., _(*21)

Repository

A simple base test class with a method to be called during setUp() to ensure access to both a mocked instance of the repository as well as its underlying model. Consumes the Modelable trait below., _(*22)

Testing Traits

We like our testing to be straightforward, so we've bundled most of our testing logic into traits., _(*23)

Modelable

A simple trait for models and repositories to ensure each test method gets a fresh mock instance of a model., _(*24)

Reflectable

A nice set of methods to wrap around PHP Reflection classes. Currently can get or set a property value, get a method or property. Automatically makes the property or method accessible for further usage., _(*25)

Relatable

An exhaustive set of tests to verify model relationship methods., _(*26)

Scopeable

A trait for testing model query scope statements. Currently only handles scope statements that do simple where() statements., _(*27)

Installation and setup

1. Add "c4tech/support": "2.x" to your composer requirements and run composer update.
2. Add C4tech\Support\ServiceProvider to config/app.php in the 'providers' array.
3. php artisan vendor:publish
4. Adjust config/c4tech.php if you wish to disable the automatic camelCasesnake_case conversion.