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name: laravel description: Laravel/PHP coding standards. Use when working on Laravel backend to ensure proper architecture, Eloquent usage, and PHP type safety.

Laravel / PHP

Critical rules for Laravel and PHP development.

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PHP & Types

• Follow PSR-12 or project standard
• Always use param + return types; avoid mixed/untyped
• Typed properties; no stdClass or loose arrays
• Small, single-responsibility methods; composition over inheritance

DTOs & Enums

• Use DTOs for data crossing boundaries; typed, immutable, no logic
• Named constructors (fromRequest, fromModel) only when needed
• PHP backed enums for constrained values; no magic strings/ints

Architecture

• Controllers thin; domain logic in models/services/actions
• DI + container; reuse events/listeners/jobs if project uses them
• Route model binding; resourceful routes when natural
• Form Requests or $request->validate() consistently; policies for auth

Eloquent

• Use relationships, scopes, casts; avoid raw SQL unless necessary
• Prevent N+1 with with() / loadMissing()

Views & API

• No DB queries in views; prepare data in controllers
• APIs: proper JSON; use API Resources if project does

Safety

• No DB schema or env changes unless requested
• Use config() for tunables; no hardcoded secrets