Question 1

How do I schedule an artisan command to run only on weekdays with Dispatcher?

Accepted Answer

Use the fluent interface in your command's schedule method, e.g., return $scheduler->everyWeekday()->hours(5)->minutes(0). This defines the command to run at 5 AM every weekday, keeping the logic in your codebase and eliminating manual cron edits.

Question 2

Dispatcher vs Laravel scheduler: which should I use?

Accepted Answer

For Laravel 4 projects, Dispatcher is a solid choice for programmatic scheduling with features like custom drivers. For Laravel 5+, switch to Laravel's built-in scheduler as it's integrated, actively maintained, and reduces dependency on external packages.

Question 3

Why isn't my Dispatcher command running even though it's scheduled correctly?

Accepted Answer

First, verify the command is enabled via isEnabled() and check environment settings. Use php artisan scheduled:run --debug to see detailed output, which can reveal issues like maintenance mode blocking or incorrect scheduling due to driver misconfigurations.

Question 4

How to create a custom driver in Dispatcher for my application's specific scheduling needs?

Accepted Answer

Create a Scheduler class implementing Schedulable and a ScheduleService extending ScheduleService in your package, then update the driver config to point to it. This allows adding context like inServiceDays() for education apps, as explained in the custom drivers section.

Question 5

Can Dispatcher handle commands with arguments and options?

Accepted Answer

Yes, use the args() and opts() methods in the schedule method to pass arguments and options, similar to manual command execution. For example, $scheduler->args(['file.txt'])->opts(['force' => true]) schedules the command with those parameters, as shown in the advanced scheduling examples.

Question 6

What's the difference between Dispatcher 1.4 and 2.0?

Accepted Answer

Version 2.0 replaced the Cron driver with DateTime, changed constants from Scheduler::DAY to Day::DAY, and removed the executable config option. Upgrading requires updating use statements and constant references in your code, as detailed in the upgrading section of the README.

Dispatcher

What is Dispatcher?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions