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Command Scaffolding Tools

ConsoleTools is a lightweight abstraction for generator-style artisan commands, especially commands that create files from stubs.

When To Use​

  • Building custom make:* commands
  • Generating classes/resources/requests from stubs
  • Validating paths safely before writing files

Methods​

getStub​

Reads a stub file and replaces tokens with runtime values.
Use it to generate class files, config files, or boilerplate templates with deterministic structure.

$content = $this->getStub(__DIR__ . '/../stubs/service', [
    '{{ class }}' => 'OrderService',
    '{{ namespace }}' => 'App\\Services',
]);

putFile​

Writes generated content to a destination file path.
Call this only after validating path existence and overwrite behavior.

$this->putFile(app_path('Services/OrderService.php'), $content);

isDir​

Checks whether a directory exists before generation.
This prevents invalid writes and keeps command execution safe.

if (! $this->isDir(app_path('Services'))) {
    // ...
}

makeDir​

Creates a missing directory required by your generator output.
It is typically paired with isDir in make commands.

$this->makeDir(app_path('Services'));

isFile​

Checks whether the target file already exists.
Use it to prevent accidental overwrites or to offer a --force branch.

if ($this->isFile($targetFile)) {
    return $this->message('File already exists.', 'error');
}

message​

Prints standardized command output for success, errors, and informational states.
Consistent command messaging improves DX and debugging.

$this->message('Service created successfully.', 'success');
$this->message('Service already exists.', 'error');

End-to-End Command Flow Example​

$targetDir = app_path('Services');
$targetFile = $targetDir . '/OrderService.php';

if (! $this->isDir($targetDir)) {
    $this->makeDir($targetDir);
}

if ($this->isFile($targetFile)) {
    return $this->message('Service already exists.', 'error');
}

$content = $this->getStub(__DIR__ . '/../stubs/service', [
    '{{ class }}' => 'OrderService',
    '{{ namespace }}' => 'App\\Services',
]);

$this->putFile($targetFile, $content);
$this->message('Service created successfully.', 'success');

Best Practices​

  • Validate paths before writing files
  • Keep command output deterministic and clear
  • Keep stub placeholders explicit and minimal
  • Check file existence before overwriting