Attainly/ai/backend-context.md

Backend context

Read ai/shared.md first. This file covers backend-specific rules.

Project context

Stack: PHP 8.4, Laravel 13, Inertia Laravel, PHPUnit, Larastan, Composer.

Location: backend/.

The application is still close to the Laravel starter structure. Do not introduce a domain architecture, repository layer, service layer, or other abstraction before the codebase and requested behavior justify it. Match existing Laravel conventions and inspect similar code before adding a new pattern.

Laravel patterns

• Keep controllers thin. Put reusable business behavior in an appropriately named application or domain class once the behavior warrants extraction.
• Use dedicated request validation rather than validating substantial payloads inline in controllers.
• Let unexpected exceptions reach Laravel's exception handler. Catch only exceptions that can be handled meaningfully at the current boundary.
• Use Eloquent relationships and query scopes consistently rather than duplicating query fragments.
• Avoid speculative interfaces and abstractions with only one trivial implementation.
• Routes currently use Inertia, but the Vue client has not been scaffolded. Do not add placeholder frontend assets as part of unrelated backend work.

Tests

• Follow the existing PHPUnit organization under tests/Unit/ and tests/Feature/.
• Prefer PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase when a test only exercises plain PHP.
• Extend Tests\TestCase only when the test needs Laravel's container, facades, database, routing, or HTTP kernel.
• HTTP feature tests extend Tests\TestCase.
• Use RefreshDatabase when a test reads or writes database state.
• Assert behavior at the appropriate seam:
  • Unit tests cover isolated business behavior and edge cases.
  • Feature tests cover routing, middleware, validation, persistence, and response shape.
• Do not duplicate every business branch through the HTTP layer when unit coverage already proves it. Feature tests should focus on wiring and the public contract.

Test database

• Development and runtime use PostgreSQL through the local Unix socket.
• PHPUnit intentionally uses SQLite :memory: as configured in phpunit.xml.
• Feature tests are self-contained and do not require the process-compose PostgreSQL service.
• Never point RefreshDatabase tests at the development PostgreSQL database.
• Keep mail set to the PHPUnit array transport unless a test explicitly exercises a real mail integration.

PHP rules

• Put imports at the top of the file. Do not use inline fully qualified class names when a normal use statement is clearer.
• Do not use arrow functions. Use regular anonymous functions.
• Do not add default values to function or constructor parameters. Pass every argument explicitly, including nullable arguments.
• Use descriptive names for classes, methods, parameters, and local variables.
• Document exceptions with @throws when a caller is expected to handle them.

Seeders

• Keep DatabaseSeeder as the orchestrator.
• Split substantial seed data into one seeder per domain concept and invoke them in dependency order.
• Do not add production repository or model APIs solely to make seeding convenient.
• Use existing lookup methods for cross-seeder relationships. When a group of records only makes sense together, keep them in one seeder and retain local references.

Migrations

• Attainly is not in production yet.

• While no production database exists, edit the original create_* migration when changing a table instead of accumulating follow-up alter migrations.

• Keep one migration file per table during this pre-production phase.

• Rebuild the development database with:

  php artisan migrate:fresh --seed
  

• Once a production database exists, replace this policy with additive, forward-only migrations.

Before completing backend work

• Run the focused test during development.
• Run php artisan test before completion.
• Run the Composer lint and static-analysis scripts when their dependencies are available.
• Fix failures caused by the change. Report unrelated baseline failures precisely rather than hiding them or expanding scope without authorization.