CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phplaravellaravel-5constants
Faran Khan
Faran Khan

Reputation: 1593

What is the best practice for adding constants in Laravel?

I am rather new to Laravel. I have a basic question, what is the best way to add constants in Laravel?

I know the .env method that we use to add the constants. Also I have made one constants file to use them for my project.

For example:

define('OPTION_ATTACHMENT', 13);
define('OPTION_EMAIL', 14);
define('OPTION_MONETERY', 15);
define('OPTION_RATINGS', 16);
define('OPTION_TEXTAREA', 17);

And so on. It can reach up to 100 or more records. So what should be the best approach to write the constants? The .env method? Or adding the constant.php file?

Upvotes: 119

Views: 181313

Answers (12)

Amol
Amol

Reputation: 115

You can create a file named Constants.php in root directory /app/Constants/Constants.php

Edit composer.json:

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

enter image description here

Insert this data into Constants.php

define('HTTP_STATUS', 'httpStatus');
define('HTTP_MESSAGE', 'message');
define('HTTP_SUCCESS', 'Success');
define('HTTP_STATUS_OK', '200');
define('HTTP_STATUS_NOT_FOUND', '404');
define('HTTP_STATUS_BAD_REQUEST', '400');
define('HTTP_STATUS_SERVER_ERROR', '500');

Note : run command :

composer update

Upvotes: 0

Adam
Adam

Reputation: 29039

I think you should not have a single place for all your constants. Especially no file called constance.php.

I use PHP constance in classes and refer to them in code, so its more readable, typically to avoid magic numbers and typos in strings

Car::where('car_type','=', 'fast_car')->get();

and rather have

Car::where('car_type','=', CarType::FAST)->get();

If its a value that depends on your environment (like email setting, should be different local vs production), then you should add it to a matching files in the config folder (e.g. '/config/mail.php'). You may also just add a new file in the config folder. A config file returns an array, so it could look like this:

<?php

return [
  'your_option' => env('YOUR_OPTION')
];

and you can read it using the config helper:

config('your_config_file.your_option');

Its important to never call the env function outside a configuration file, as the env function returns null outside a configuration file when cache is enabled.

If the option does not rely on your environment, you can just add it directly to the matching config file.

<?php

return [
  'your_option' => 10
];

Upvotes: 14

berusjamban
berusjamban

Reputation: 363

I would personally create a class for that.

<?php

namespace App\Transaction\Constants;

/**
 * Class TransactionTypeConstant.
 */
final class TransactionTypeConstant
{
    public const TYPE_CREDIT = 'CREDIT';
    public const TYPE_DEBIT = 'DEBIT';
}

and use it like this:

<?php

namespace App\Transaction;

use App\Transaction\Constants\TransactionTypeConstant;

class Transaction
{
    /**
     * Execute the task.
     *
     * @return object
     */
    public function run()
    {
        if ($transaction->type === TransactionTypeConstant::TYPE_DEBIT) {
            //do something
        }
    }
}

Upvotes: 14

pankaj
pankaj

Reputation: 1906

i think best way to define constant using a helper file. check my solution.

Define file path in composer.json

   "extra": {
        "laravel": {
            "dont-discover": []
        }
    },
    "autoload": {
        "files": [
            "app/helpers.php",
            "app/Helper/function.php"  // constant defined here
        ],

app/Helper/function.php

define("assetPath","UI/");
define("viewPath","UI/");

use this constant anywhere in project. i am using in blade file.

  <script src="{{asset(assetPath.'js/jquery.min.js')}}"></script>
  <script src="{{asset(assetPath.'js/popper.min.js')}}"></script>
  <script src="{{asset(assetPath.'js/bootstrap.min.js')}}"></script>

my approach is better than this

Config::get('constants.options');
Config::get('constants.options.option_attachment');

here another problem is this , you have to run cache:clear or cache command for this. but my approach not required this.

Upvotes: 0

Mehran Nasr
Mehran Nasr

Reputation: 307

You can simply do this:

  1. Put your constants to 'config/app.php' on main array, like:

    'CONSTANT_NAME' => 'CONSTANT_VALUE',

  2. Use them where ever you want with:

    {{ Config::get('CONSTANT_NAME') }}

Upvotes: 2

Yahya Ayyoub
Yahya Ayyoub

Reputation: 270

require app_path().'/constants.php';

define('ADMIN',  'administrator');

or -

You can also move more sensitive info

return [
   'hash_salt' => env('HASH_SALT'),
 ];

And use it like before:

 echo Config::get('constants.hash_salt');

Upvotes: 0

Naeem Ijaz
Naeem Ijaz

Reputation: 825

You can define constants at the top of the web.php file located in routes and can be access the constants anywhere in project with just constant name

define('OPTION_ATTACHMENT', 13);
define('OPTION_EMAIL', 14);
define('OPTION_MONETERY', 15);
define('OPTION_RATINGS', 16);
define('OPTION_TEXTAREA', 17);

Upvotes: 2

yangwendaxia
yangwendaxia

Reputation: 179

Another way as following:

  1. create the constant.php file in app/config directory

  2. in composer.json file, add the directives like this:

    "autoload": {
   "classmap": [
       "database/seeds",
       "database/factories"
   ],
   "psr-4": {
       "App\\": "app/"
   },
   "files": [
       "app/helpers.php",
       "app/config/constants.php"
   ]
}

Upvotes: 11

Dev Semicolon
Dev Semicolon

Reputation: 454

You can create a file named paths.php in root directory/config/paths.php

Insert this data into paths.php

define('OPTION_ATTACHMENT', 13);
define('OPTION_EMAIL', 14);
define('OPTION_MONETERY', 15);
define('OPTION_RATINGS', 16);
define('OPTION_TEXTAREA', 17);

Note : make sure to run command : php artisan config:clear

Upvotes: 18

Neekobus
Neekobus

Reputation: 2038

I use aliased class constants :

First, create your class that contain your constants : App/MyApp.php for exemple

namespace App;

class MyApp {
   const MYCONST = 'val';
}

Then add it to the aliased classes in the config/app.php

'aliases' => [
  //...
  'MyApp' => App\MyApp::class,

Finally use them wherever you like (controllers or even blades) : 

MyApp::MYCONST

Upvotes: 128

Hax0r
Hax0r

Reputation: 1813

First you make Constants folder inside your app directory.

And then you make Constants.php. Define your constants in this file

For Example : 

define('ONE', '1');
define('TWO', '2');

And you modify the composer.json

Alternatively, you can use composer.json to load the bootstrap/constants.php file by adding the following code to the “autoload” section, like so:

"autoload": {
    "files": [
        "bootstrap/constants.php"
    ]
}

And update your composer !

Upvotes: 19

redcenter
redcenter

Reputation: 846

Your question was about the 'best practices' and you asked about the '.env method'.

.env is only for variables that change because the environment changes. Examples of different environments: test, acceptance, production.

So the .env contains database credentials, API keys, etc.

The .env should (imho) never contain constants which are the same over all environments. Just use the suggested config files for that.

Upvotes: 22

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