How do I add a custom command to Solo for Laravel?

Define the command in the 'commands' array in config/solo.php using a string for simple commands, or use Command::from() for more control, like making it lazy with ->lazy() for optional processes.

Solo for Laravel vs using separate terminal tabs: which is better?

Solo is better for Laravel-specific workflows with integrated commands and keyboard controls, while separate tabs offer more flexibility for mixed environments but require manual window management and lack Solo's specialized features.

Can I run Laravel Sail commands with Solo?

Yes, use the format 'vendor/bin/sail artisan [command] --ansi' in your Solo configuration, as mentioned in the FAQ, to ensure proper output handling within Solo's interface.

How to switch Solo to light theme?

Set the 'theme' option to 'light' in config/solo.php or via the SOLO_THEME environment variable, as themes are configurable with built-in light and dark options for personal preference.

Does Solo support Windows for Laravel development?

No, Solo requires ext-pcntl which is not available on Windows, so it won't work; consider using WSL or alternative tools if on Windows, as stated in the README.

How to intercept and view dump() calls in Solo?

Use the built-in 'solo:dumps' command in your configuration, which intercepts dump() output and displays it within Solo, avoiding clutter in the main terminal output.

Open-Awesome

Solo

MITPHPv0.5.0

A Laravel package that runs multiple development commands in a single terminal with tabbed navigation.

GitHub

1.3k stars58 forks0 contributors

What is Solo?

Solo for Laravel is a Composer package that provides a single artisan command to run and manage multiple local development processes in a tabbed terminal interface. It solves the problem of juggling separate terminal windows for tasks like running Vite, queues, logs, and tests by consolidating them into one interactive session.

Target Audience

Laravel developers working on local development environments who want to streamline their workflow by managing all application processes from a single terminal interface.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Solo because it eliminates terminal clutter with its intuitive tabbed interface, offers deep Laravel integration with specialized commands like TestCommand and MakeCommand, and provides extensive customization through configuration and themes.

Overview

Your all-in-one Laravel command to tame local development

Use Cases

Best For

Managing multiple Laravel development processes (e.g., Vite, queues, logs) in one terminal
Reducing terminal window clutter during local development
Running Laravel tests in an isolated testing environment
Intercepting and viewing dump() output without disrupting the terminal
Keyboard-driven development workflows with customizable hotkeys
Organizing optional development services (like Reverb) as lazy-start commands

Not Ideal For

Windows-based development environments due to ext-pcntl dependency
Production deployments where process supervision tools like supervisor are required
Non-Laravel PHP projects or teams using other frameworks
Developers who prefer graphical IDEs over terminal-based workflow management

Pros & Cons

Pros

Unified Tabbed Interface

Consolidates multiple Laravel development commands like logs, queues, and Vite into separate tabs within a single terminal session, eliminating the need to juggle multiple windows.

Deep Laravel Integration

Includes specialized commands such as MakeCommand for Laravel's artisan make commands and TestCommand that automatically sets APP_ENV=testing for safe test execution.

Highly Configurable Workflow

Allows customization of commands, themes (light/dark), and keybindings (default/vim) through a config/solo.php file, adapting to developer preferences and project needs.

Interactive Keyboard Controls

Provides extensive keyboard shortcuts for navigating tabs, starting/stopping commands, and entering interactive mode, enhancing efficiency for keyboard-driven workflows.

Cons

Platform Exclusion

Requires ext-pcntl and other Unix-specific features, making it incompatible with Windows, as explicitly stated in the README with no current workaround.

Local-Only Tool

Designed solely for local development; the README advises against using it in production, limiting its utility to development environments only.

Manual Configuration Burden

Each command must be explicitly defined in the configuration file, which can be time-consuming and error-prone for projects with many or complex processes.

Laravel Lock-In

Tightly integrated with Laravel, offering no value for projects using other PHP frameworks or vanilla PHP, reducing its general-purpose appeal.

Frequently Asked Questions

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