Larval Application Troubleshooting Advance Guide

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1. Check the Application Environment

  • Ensure your application is running in the correct environment. Verify the .env file settings, particularly APP_ENV, APP_DEBUG, and database configurations.
  • Set APP_DEBUG=true during development to display detailed error messages.

2. Review Error Logs

  • Access Laravel’s error logs located in the storage/logs directory:
tail -f storage/logs/laravel.log
  • Look for specific error messages and stack traces to identify issues.

3. Handle Exceptions Gracefully

  • Customize exception handling in app/Exceptions/Handler.php. Use the report and render methods to log and handle exceptions:
public function render($request, Throwable $exception) {
    if ($exception instanceof NotFoundHttpException) {
        return response()->view('errors.404', [], 404);
    }
    return parent::render($request, $exception);
}

4. Debugging with Artisan Commands

  • Use Artisan commands to diagnose issues:
    • Clear Cache:
php artisan cache:clear
  • Clear Configuration Cache:
php artisan config:clear
  • Clear Route Cache:
php artisan route:clear
  • List Routes:
php artisan route:list

5. Monitor Database Connections

  • Check your database connection settings in the .env file. Ensure the host, username, password, and database name are correct.
  • Test the database connection using:
php artisan migrate

6. Analyze Slow Queries

  • Enable query logging to identify slow queries:
\DB::listen(function ($query) {
    \Log::info("Query Time: {$query->time}ms; SQL: {$query->sql}");
});
  • Use Laravel Telescope for real-time monitoring of queries and performance.

7. Inspect Middleware and Routes

  • Review middleware configurations in app/Http/Kernel.php. Ensure middleware is applied correctly to routes.
  • Check for route conflicts or missing routes that could lead to 404 errors.

8. Utilize Debugging Tools

  • Install Laravel Debugbar for insights into queries, views, and routes:
composer require barryvdh/laravel-debugbar --dev
  • Use Laravel Telescope for a comprehensive view of requests, exceptions, and database queries:
composer require laravel/telescope --dev
php artisan telescope:install

9. Validate Form Requests

  • Ensure that form request validation rules are correctly defined. Inspect validation error messages returned in AJAX requests for clues about data issues.

10. Check File Permissions

  • Ensure that storage and bootstrap/cache directories are writable:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data storage bootstrap/cache
sudo chmod -R 775 storage bootstrap/cache

11. Review Third-Party Packages

  • Check for compatibility issues with third-party packages by running:
composer outdated
  • Update packages as necessary using:
composer update

12. Test with PHPUnit

  • Write and run tests using PHPUnit to identify potential regressions or issues in your application logic:
php artisan test

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