A super simple package allowing for consistent API responses throughout your Laravel application

#Laravel API Response Helpers

A simple package allowing for consistent API responses throughout your Laravel application.

#Requirements

• PHP ^7.4 | ^8.0
• Laravel 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10

#Installation / Usage

composer require f9webltd/laravel-api-response-helpers

Simply reference the required trait within your controller:

<?php
 
namespace App\Http\Api\Controllers;
 
use F9Web\ApiResponseHelpers;
use Illuminate\Http\JsonResponse;
 
class OrdersController
{
    use ApiResponseHelpers;
 
    public function index(): JsonResponse
    {
        return $this->respondWithSuccess();
    }
}

Optionally, the trait could be imported within a base controller.

#Available methods

#respondNotFound(string|Exception $message, ?string $key = 'error')

Returns a 404 HTTP status code, an exception object can optionally be passed.

#respondWithSuccess(array|Arrayable|JsonSerializable|null $contents = null)

Returns a 200 HTTP status code, optionally $contents to return as json can be passed. By default returns ['success' => true].

#respondOk(string $message)

Returns a 200 HTTP status code

#respondUnAuthenticated(?string $message = null)

Returns a 401 HTTP status code

#respondForbidden(?string $message = null)

Returns a 403 HTTP status code

#respondError(?string $message = null)

Returns a 400 HTTP status code

#respondCreated(array|Arrayable|JsonSerializable|null $data = null)

Returns a 201 HTTP status code, with response optional data

#respondNoContent(array|Arrayable|JsonSerializable|null $data = null)

Returns a 204 HTTP status code, with optional response data. Strictly speaking, the response body should be empty. However, functionality to optionally return data was added to handle legacy projects. Within your own projects, you can simply call the method, omitting parameters, to generate a correct 204 response i.e. return $this->respondNoContent()

#setDefaultSuccessResponse(?array $content = null): self

Optionally, replace the default ['success' => true] response returned by respondWithSuccess with $content. This method can be called from the constructor (to change default for all calls), a base API controller or place when required.

setDefaultSuccessResponse is a fluent method returning $this allows for chained methods calls:

$users = collect([10, 20, 30, 40]);
 
return $this->setDefaultSuccessResponse([])->respondWithSuccess($users);

Or

public function __construct()
{
    $this->setDefaultSuccessResponse([]);
}
 
...
 
$users = collect([10, 20, 30, 40]);
 
return $this->respondWithSuccess($users);

#Use with additional object types

In addition to a plain PHP array, the following data types can be passed to relevant methods:

• Objects implementing the Laravel Illuminate\Contracts\Support\Arrayable contract
• Objects implementing the native PHP JsonSerializable contract

This allows a variety of object types to be passed and converted automatically.

Below are a few common object types that can be passed.

#Laravel Collections - Illuminate\Support\Collection

$users = collect([10, 20, 30, 40]);
 
return $this->respondWithSuccess($users);

#Laravel Eloquent Collections - Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection

$invoices = Invoice::pending()->get();
 
return $this->respondWithSuccess($invoices);

#Laravel API Resources - Illuminate\Http\Resources\Json\JsonResource

This package is intended to be used alongside Laravel's API resources and in no way replaces them.

$resource = PostResource::make($post);
 
return $this->respondCreated($resource);

#Motivation

Ensure consistent JSON API responses throughout an application. The motivation was primarily based on a very old inherited Laravel project. The project contained a plethora of methods/structures used to return an error:

• response()->json(['error' => $error], 400)
• response()->json(['data' => ['error' => $error], 400)
• response()->json(['message' => $error], Response::HTTP_BAD_REQUEST)
• response()->json([$error], 400)
• etc.

I wanted to add a simple trait that kept this consistent, in this case:

$this->respondError('Ouch')

#Contribution

Any ideas are welcome. Feel free to submit any issues or pull requests.

#Testing

composer test

#Security

If you discover any security related issues, please email rob@f9web.co.uk instead of using the issue tracker.

#Credits

• Rob Allport for F9 Web Ltd.

#License

The MIT License (MIT). Please see License File for more information.