Useful Packages

In this last lesson, let's check four packages that could be useful when working with APIs.

1. Laravel API Response Helpers

The first package, Laravel API Response Helpers, helps you to standardize responses.

If you return a lot of return response()->json(), this package might help you. We can install this package via composer.

composer require f9webltd/laravel-api-response-helpers

Then, add trait F9Web\ApiResponseHelpers to any Controller you want to use helpers. Now, we can use helpers from the package. For example, return a successful response:

use F9Web\ApiResponseHelpers;
 
class ProductController extends Controller
{
    ApiResponseHelpers;
 
    public function index()
    {
        $products = Product::with('category')->paginate(9);
 
        return responseWithSuccess($products); 
    }
}

You can check other helper methods in the official documentation.

You can watch the video version of the package review on YouTube: Laravel Package For Standard API Responses.

2. Laravel Orion

This package allows you to create REST API easily.

The package can be installed via composer.

composer require tailflow/laravel-orion

To use this package, your Controller must extend the Orion\Http\Controllers\Controller instead of a default Laravel Controller.

use Orion\Http\Controllers\Controller;
 
class CategoryController extends Controller
{
}

Then, define the Model in the protected $model property.

use App\Models\Category;
use Orion\Http\Controllers\Controller;
 
class CategoryController extends Controller
{
    protected $model = Category::class;
}

Finally, for the Route, instead of the default Laravel Route Facade, you must use the Orion Facade.

routes/api.php:

use Orion\Facades\Orion;
 
Orion::resource('categories', \App\Http\Controllers\Api\CategoryController::class);

We can check available routes using the artisan command php artisan route:list.

Customization can be made using traits. For example, we can remove authorization.

use Orion\Concerns\DisableAuthorization;
 
class CategoryController extends Controller
{
    use DisableAuthorization; 
 
    protected $model = Category::class;
}

We can check the response in the client.

Orion uses API Resources, which is why it is wrapped within the data key. And, by default, pagination is added.

For more, check the official documentation.

You can watch the video version of the package review on YouTube: Laravel Orion: Build API With A Few Lines of Code.

3. Laravel API Tool Kit

Using this package with the artisan command, you can generate everything needed, from Models to Tests. The package can be installed via composer.

composer require essa/api-tool-kit

Now, we can generate. For example, generate a Post model with the name as a string and the body as a text column.

php artisan api:generate Post --all "name:string|body:text"

As you can see, using the --all flag, we have generated all the classes and routes that have been added to the routes/api.php file.

The Resource has added all the fields.

app/Http/Resources/Post/PostResource.php:

class PostResource extends JsonResource
{
    public function toArray($request): array
    {
        return [
            'id' => $this->id,
            'name' => $this->name,
            'body' => $this->body,
            'created_at' => dateTimeFormat($this->created_at),
            'updated_at' => dateTimeFormat($this->updated_at),
        ];
    }
}

This package allows you to generate the start of a project quickly.

For more, check the official documentation.

4. Laravel Restify

The last package is similar to the third. Using an artisan command, the package generates a boilerplate for the API. The package also asks if you want to create Policy and Migrations. The package can be installed via composer.

composer require binaryk/laravel-restify

Then, packages require a setup process.

php artisan restify:setup

And run the Migrations.

php artisan migrate

Now, we can create a repository via the artisan command.

php artisan restify:repository Post --all

Besides the Migrations and Model fillable, fields should be added to the Repository.

app/Restify/PostRepository.php:

class PostRepository extends Repository
{
    public static string $model = Post::class;
 
    public function fields(RestifyRequest $request): array
    {
        return [
            id(),
            field('name') 
                ->required(),
            field('body')
                ->required(), 
        ];
    }
}

Now, we can check the /api/restify/posts endpoint. After adding some data, we can see the result.

For more on how to customize, check the official documentation.

Testing APIs and JSONs

Course Content

How to Build Laravel 11 API From Scratch

Useful Packages

1. Laravel API Response Helpers

2. Laravel Orion

3. Laravel API Tool Kit

4. Laravel Restify

Course Content

Getting Data via Laravel API

Posting Data via Laravel API

Authentication and Authorization

Additional Various Topics