There are three common ways to create auxiliary PHP functions in Laravel. 1. Use the helpers.php file: Create Helpers.php in the app/ directory, write the function, add a path in the autoload.files of composer.json and run composer dump-autoload to implement global calls; 2. Use the macroable feature: add custom methods to Laravel existing classes such as Collection through the macro() method, which conforms to the framework design style; 3. Create service classes: Applicable to complex logic, such as creating HelperService class encapsulation methods and using dependency injection or app() calls, for easy maintenance and testing. Pay attention to avoid function name conflicts, use global functions reasonably, and remember to run composer dump-autoload to make the changes take effect.

Creating a secondary PHP function in Laravel is actually quite simple. The key is to find the right place to store it and ensure it can be called easily. Laravel provides a variety of ways to add custom helper functions. Let’s take a look at several common practices.

1. Use helpers.php file (recommended)

This is the most common and flexible way. You can create a globally available helper function file, such as helpers.php , and call it at any time in the project.

Operation steps:

• Create a Helpers.php file (or whatever name you like) in app/ directory.
• Write your function in this file, such as:

 <?php

if (!function_exists(&#39;format_date&#39;)) {
    function format_date($date, $format = &#39;Ym-d&#39;)
    {
        return \Carbon\Carbon::parse($date)->format($format);
    }
}

• Then open the composer.json file and add this file path to the autoload files array:

 "autoload": {
    "files": [
        "app/Helpers.php"
    ]
}

• Finally run:

 composer dump-autoload

In this way, your function is available globally, format_date() can be called directly in the controller, view, or Blade template.

2. Use Laravel's macroable feature (suitable for extending existing classes)

If you don't want to write a completely independent function, but want to add methods to existing classes in Laravel (such as Collection , Response , Request , etc.), you can use macro() .

For example:

 use Illuminate\Support\Collection;

Collection::make()->macro('toUpper', function () {
    return $this->map(function ($item) {
        return strtoupper($item);
    });
});

Then you can use it on any Collection:

 collect(['a', 'b'])->toUpper(); // ['A', 'B']

The advantage of this method is that it is more in line with Laravel's design style and can reuse existing class structures.

3. Create a service class (suitable for complex logic)

If your "helping function" logic is more complicated or requires dependency injection, it is not suitable to use global functions. At this time, you can create a service class.

step:

• Create a service class, such as app/Services/HelperService.php :

 namespace App\Services;

class HelperService
{
    public function formatPrice($price)
    {
        return '$' . number_format($price, 2);
    }
}

• Then use it in the controller or Blade template:

 app(\App\Services\HelperService::class)->formatPrice(99.99);

Or use it through dependency injection.

This method is more suitable for large projects and is easy to maintain and test.

Some notes:

• Avoid function name conflicts : It is a good habit to use function_exists() to wrap function definitions.
• Don't overuse global functions : Too cluttered helper functions will reduce maintainability.
• composer dump-autoload Remember to run : otherwise the newly added auxiliary files will not take effect.

Basically that's it. Creating helper functions is not difficult in Laravel. The key is to choose the appropriate method based on the project size and needs. If used well, it can greatly improve development efficiency.

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