README

LARAVEL API RESPONSES

composer require harrisonratcliffe/laravel-api-responses

🔗 Table of Contents

• 📍 Overview
• 👾 Features
• 🚀 Getting Started
  • ☑️ Prerequisites
  • ⚙ Installation
  • 🤖 Usage
• 🧪 Testing
• 🔰 Contributing
• 🎗 License

📍 Overview

A Laravel package to easily handle API responses and exceptions.

👾 Features

• 🌟 Return clean, consistent API responses
• 🛡️ Handle API exceptions with standardized error responses
• 🚀 Easy integration with Laravel 7 to 12

🚀 Getting Started

☑️ Prerequisites

Before getting started with Laravel API Responses, ensure your runtime environment meets the following requirements:

• Programming Language: PHP
• Package Manager: Composer
• Laravel Version: 7 or later

⚙️ Installation

Install laravel-api-responses using the following method:

1. Install the package via Composer:

composer require harrisonratcliffe/laravel-api-responses

1. Publish the config with:

php artisan vendor:publish --tag="apiresponses-config"

API Exception Handler

Note: if you use a different API route path than /api you should adjust the below if statement.

Laravel 11-12

To configure the API Exception Handler on Laravel 11-12, add the following configuration to your boostrap/app.php file:

use Harrisonratcliffe\LaravelApiResponses\ApiExceptionHandler;

->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        // your other code here
       $exceptions->render(function (Throwable $exception, $request) {
            if ($request->expectsJson() || $request->is('api/*')) {
                return app(ApiExceptionHandler::class)->renderApiException($exception);
            }
        });
        // your other code here
    })

Laravel 7-10

To configure the API Exception Handler on Laravel 7-10, add the following configuration inside your render method of your app/Exceptions/Handler.php file:

use Harrisonratcliffe\LaravelApiResponses\ApiExceptionHandler;

public function render($request, Throwable $exception)
    {
    // your other code here
        if ($request->expectsJson() || $request->is('api/*')) {
            return app(ApiExceptionHandler::class)->renderApiException($exception);
        }
    // your other code here
    }

Here's the modified README to reflect the new option for handling internal server error messages:

🔧 Configuration Options

The Laravel API Handler package provides a flexible configuration file that allows you to customize default response messages and behaviors. Let's break down each configuration option:

🐞 Debug Mode

'debug_mode' => end('APP_ENV', false),

• Purpose: Controls whether detailed error information is exposed
• Default: Inherits from Laravel's APP_ENV environment variable
• Security Warning: 🚨 Only enable in development environments
• Behavior:
  • When true: Potentially exposes sensitive error details
  • When false: Provides generic, safe error messages

📡 Default Success Response

'success_response' => 'API request processed successfully.',
'success_status_code' => 200,

• Success Message: Customizable default message for successful API requests
• Status Code: Standard HTTP 200 OK response
• Customization: Easily modify the default success message to match your application's tone

🚧 Default Error Messages

'http_not_found' => 'The requested resource or endpoint could not be located.',
'unauthenticated' => 'You must be logged in to access this resource. Please provide valid credentials.',
'model_not_found' => 'The requested resource could not be found. This resource doesn\'t exist.',
'unknown_error' => 'An unexpected error has occurred. Please try again later or contact support if the issue persists.',

Error Message Breakdown

• http_not_found: Used when a requested endpoint doesn't exist
• unauthenticated: Triggered for unauthorized access attempts
• model_not_found: Dynamic message for missing database records
  • Provides clarity on what was not found
• unknown_error: Fallback message for unexpected errors

⚠️ Internal Server Error Message

'show_500_error_message' => true,

• Purpose: Controls whether the actual error message from a 500/internal server error is returned.
• Default: true (actual error message will be shown)
• Behavior:
  • When true: The detailed error message is returned, which can aid in debugging.
  • When false: The unknown_error response will be used instead, maintaining user-friendliness.

🛠️ Customization Tips

• Modify the config file located at config/api-responses.php
• Tailor messages to match your application's voice
• Keep error messages informative but not overly technical
• Ensure messages are user-friendly and provide clear guidance

🤖 Usage

Success Responses

// In your controller
use Harrisonratcliffe\LaravelApiResponses\Facades\ApiResponses;

public function index()
{
    $data = User::all();
    return ApiResponses::success(
        'Users retrieved successfully', 
        $data
    );
}

Example Success Response

{
    "status": "success",
    "message": "Users retrieved successfully",
    "data": [
        {"id": 1, "name": "John Doe"},
        {"id": 2, "name": "Jane Smith"}
    ]
}

Error Responses

use Harrisonratcliffe\LaravelApiResponses\Facades\ApiResponses;

public function store()
{
    return ApiResponses::error(
        'This virtual machine does not exist',
        404,
        [
            'vm_id' => 12345
        ],
        'https://docs.yourapi.com/errors/some-error'
    );
}

Example Error Response

{
    "status": "error",
    "message": "This virtual machine does not exist",
    "details": {
        "vm_id": 12345
    },
    "documentation": "https://docs.yourapi.com/errors/some-error"
}

Method Signatures

successResponse()

• $message (optional): Custom success message
• $data (optional): Response data
• $statusCode (optional): HTTP status code (default: 200)

errorResponse()

• $message (required): Error description
• $statusCode (optional): HTTP error code (default: 400)
• $details (optional) Error details
• $documentation (optional): Error documentation link
• $debug (optional): Additional debug information

🧪 Testing

Run the test suite using the following command: Using composer  

vendor/bin/pest

🔰 Contributing

Contributions are welcome!

• 🐛 Report Issues: Submit bugs found or log feature requests for the laravel-api-responses project.
• 💡 Submit Pull Requests: Review open PRs, and submit your own PRs.

🎗 License

This project is protected under the MIT License. For more details, refer to the LICENSE file.