php-laravel

Purpose

This skill provides Laravel 12+ development patterns, Eloquent optimization techniques, architectural guidelines, and PHP 8.x best practices. It includes automated formatting tools and comprehensive reference documentation for building maintainable Laravel applications.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when working with:

• Laravel controllers, models, migrations, or any PHP backend code
• Eloquent queries, relationships, or database optimization
• Service layer architecture or repository patterns
• Form Requests, validation, or authorization
• Laravel testing with Pest
• PHP code formatting and style enforcement

How to Use

Code Formatting

Use the bundled script to format PHP code with Laravel Pint:

scripts/linter-formatter.sh --help  # View all options
scripts/linter-formatter.sh         # Format all files
scripts/linter-formatter.sh --dirty # Format only modified files
scripts/linter-formatter.sh --test  # Check style without changes

The script automatically detects whether to use Laravel Sail or local Pint installation.

Reference Documentation

Load reference files as needed to inform implementation decisions:

• references/architecture-patterns.md - Service layer and repository patterns
• references/eloquent-patterns.md - Query optimization, relationships, scopes
• references/controller-patterns.md - Controllers and Form Requests
• references/testing-patterns.md - Pest testing with describe/it syntax
• references/migration-patterns.md - Migration conventions and best practices
• references/security-checklist.md - Security validation checklist

Workflow

1. Read relevant reference files to understand patterns applicable to the task
2. Apply Laravel 12+ and PHP 8.x features (readonly properties, constructor promotion, etc.)
3. Follow architecture principles: thin controllers (max 10 lines per method), service classes for business logic
4. Use Form Requests for validation with authorization logic in authorize() method
5. Optimize Eloquent queries: use select() to limit columns, with() for eager loading, lazy() for large datasets
6. Format code using scripts/linter-formatter.sh before completion
7. Validate security requirements using the checklist in references/security-checklist.md

Key Principles

• Thin Controllers: Keep controller methods under 10 lines, delegate to services
• Eager Loading: Always use with() to prevent N+1 query problems
• Form Requests: Never validate in controllers; always use FormRequest classes
• Type Safety: Use PHP 8.x readonly properties and strict types
• Query Optimization: Use select(), withCount(), and chunk()/lazy() for performance
• Security First: Apply $fillable/$guarded, policies, and proper input sanitization

Common Patterns

Service Class Structure:

class UserService
{
    public function __construct(
        private readonly UserRepository $users,
        private readonly NotificationService $notifications
    ) {}
}

Optimized Eloquent Query:

User::select(['id', 'name', 'email'])
    ->with(['posts:id,user_id,title'])
    ->withCount('comments')
    ->lazy();

Form Request:

class StoreUserRequest extends FormRequest
{
    public function authorize(): bool
    {
        return $this->user()->can('create', User::class);
    }

    public function rules(): array
    {
        return [
            'email' => ['required', 'email', 'unique:users'],
            'password' => ['required', Password::defaults()],
        ];
    }
}

For detailed patterns, examples, and edge cases, load the appropriate reference file from references/.