Dhpk Laravel 6 Notes

---
name: dhpk-laravel-6-notes
description: 'Laravel 6.x (LTS, Sep 2019) signature features and the breaking-change traps from 5.8 → 6.0. Use when writing or reviewing code in a Laravel 6 project, or in a package whose composer constraint includes ^6.0. Covers job middleware, lazy collections, the Str/Arr helper migration, the strict-semver shift, and the deprecations Laravel 6 removed from 5.x. Not for application business logic — load when working on framework-touching code (service providers, jobs, model attributes) or planning a 5.8 → 6 upgrade; use `dhpk-php-runtime-router` for family selection and shared Laravel routing. Output: version-specific guidance, migration traps, and verification gates.'
metadata:
  dhpk-invocation-class: implicit-eligible
---

# Laravel 6 — LTS baseline

Released September 2019. **First Laravel version on strict semver** —
prior majors used a 5.x rolling number that did not signal breaking
changes meaningfully.

> PHP floor: 7.2 (use `php-7.4` module — there is no `php-7.2` module
> shipped). LTS support ran through 2022.

---

## Signature features — source: locked framework docs; this reference is not application-policy SSOT

### Job middleware

```php
final class ThrottlesByCustomer
{
    public function handle($job, callable $next): void
    {
        Redis::funnel('customer:' . $job->customerId)
            ->limit(1)
            ->then(fn () => $next($job), fn () => $job->release(5));
    }
}

// In the Job class:
public function middleware(): array
{
    return [new ThrottlesByCustomer];
}
```

Wraps `Job::handle()` execution with composable middleware. Replaces
ad-hoc rate-limit / dedup logic that previously had to live inside
`handle()` itself.

### Lazy collections

```php
LazyCollection::make(function () {
    $handle = fopen('huge.csv', 'r');
    while (($row = fgetcsv($handle)) !== false) {
        yield $row;
    }
})->filter(fn ($r) => $r[3] === 'active')
  ->each(fn ($r) => Order::create([...]));
```

Memory-bounded iteration over arbitrarily large datasets. Eloquent
gained `cursor()` and `lazy()` methods that return `LazyCollection`.
Use anywhere a regular `Collection` would `OOM` on a multi-GB
dataset.

### Eloquent subquery selects

```php
$users = User::addSelect(['last_login_at' => Login::select('created_at')
    ->whereColumn('user_id', 'users.id')
    ->latest()
    ->take(1)
])->get();
```

One query instead of N+1. The subquery becomes a column in the
parent select.

### Frontend scaffolding extracted to laravel/ui

The Bootstrap/Vue/React auth scaffolding (`make:auth`, login/register
views) moved out of laravel/framework into the separate `laravel/ui`
package:

```bash
composer require laravel/ui
php artisan ui vue --auth      # replaces the old `php artisan make:auth`
```

Note: `laravel/cashier`, `laravel/passport`, and `laravel/nova` have
always been separate packages — they were *not* extracted in 6.0. Ignition
(`facade/ignition`) shipped as the default dev error page in 6.0.

---

## Migration traps from 5.8

### `str_*` and `array_*` global helpers

These deprecated in 5.8 and were **removed by default** in 6.0:

```php
// 5.8 and earlier — works
str_slug('My Title');
array_pluck($items, 'name');

// 6.0 and later — must use the namespaced version
Str::slug('My Title');
Arr::pluck($items, 'name');
```

Quick fix: `composer require laravel/helpers` restores the global
functions, but treat that as a temporary bridge — do a follow-up PR
to migrate to `Str::` / `Arr::`.

Symbols affected: `array_*` (16 helpers), `str_*` (24 helpers). The
upgrade guide lists each.

### Authorization responses can carry messages

`Gate` checks and policy methods may now return
`Illuminate\Auth\Access\Response` (via `Response::allow()` / `deny()`),
and `Gate::inspect()` exposes the message — handy for richer 403s. Older
boolean returns keep working, so this is additive, not a break.

### Carbon 1.x no longer supported

Carbon 1.x is end-of-life and **no longer supported** in 6.0 —
`nesbot/carbon` must be on `^2.0`. The date API is largely compatible,
but audit any Carbon 1.x-only behaviour before upgrading.

---

## What's *missing* compared to 7.x+

If reviewing a 6.x codebase, these are the features people commonly
miss and shim:

- **No HTTP client wrapper** (added in 7) — use `guzzlehttp/guzzle`
  directly
- **No custom Eloquent casts** (added in 7) — use accessors/mutators
  for transformation, or store JSON-encoded
- **No Blade `x-` components** (added in 7) — use `@include` or
  manual View Composers

---

## When NOT to Use

Not for application business logic, and not for a project on a different
Laravel major — use the matching `laravel-N-notes`. Package-authoring
concerns (service providers, facades, testbench) live in
`dhpk-laravel-package-author`.

## Output

Framework-touching code or review notes that match Laravel 6's APIs
(PHP 7.2 floor) — flag any `str_*` / `array_*` global helper or other
call that actually belongs to a different major.

## Verification

- Confirm the project runs Laravel 6 (`composer show laravel/framework`).
- Check the PHP 7.2 floor before using version-gated syntax.
- Cross-check cited APIs against the 5.8 → 6.0 upgrade guide.

---

## Cross-references

- `skills/dhpk-laravel-package-author/SKILL.md` — service provider /
  facade / publishing patterns that apply across Laravel versions
- `skills/dhpk-laravel-7-notes/SKILL.md` — the next
  version's signature additions (HTTP client, custom casts)
- `skills/dhpk-php-modern-pro/SKILL.md` — PHP idioms valid
  for Laravel 6's PHP 7.2+ floor