Quick Command Options in Laravel: Mastering Shortcuts

Want to make your Artisan commands more user-friendly? Laravel's option shortcuts let you create intuitive, quick-to-type command options! Let's explore this handy feature.

Defining Shortcuts

Here's how to add a shortcut to your option:

protected $signature = 'mail:send {user} {--Q|queue}';

The syntax is simple:

• Use the | character as a delimiter
• Put the shortcut before the full option name
• Single letter shortcuts work best

Using Shortcuts

The command can now be used in two ways:

# Full option
php artisan mail:send 1 --queue=default

# With shortcut
php artisan mail:send 1 -Qdefault

Real-World Example

Here's a practical deployment command with shortcuts:

class DeployApplication extends Command
{
    protected $signature = 'deploy 
        {env? : Environment to deploy to}
        {--F|force : Skip confirmation}
        {--B|backup : Create backup before deploying}
        {--C|config= : Custom config file path}';

    public function handle()
    {
        $environment = $this->argument('env') ?? 'production';
        
        if (!$this->option('force')) {
            if (!$this->confirm("Deploy to {$environment}?")) {
                return;
            }
        }

        if ($this->option('backup')) {
            $this->info('Creating backup...');
        }

        $configPath = $this->option('config');
        
        $this->info("Deploying to {$environment}...");
        // Deployment logic here
    }
}

Usage examples:

# Full options
php artisan deploy staging --force --backup --config=custom.php

# With shortcuts
php artisan deploy staging -F -B -Ccustom.php

Shortcuts make your commands faster to type while keeping them intuitive and user-friendly.

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