Using Backed Enums with Laravel Authorization

Simplify authorization in Laravel with direct enum support. The updated AuthorizesRequests trait now accepts backed enums without requiring the ->value accessor.

Basic Usage

Define and use your permission enums directly:

enum DashboardPermission: string
{
    case VIEW = 'dashboard.view';
    case EDIT = 'dashboard.edit';
    case MANAGE = 'dashboard.manage';
}

public function index(): Response
{
    $this->authorize(DashboardPermission::VIEW);
    
    return view('dashboard.index');
}

Real-World Example

Here's how to implement a comprehensive permission system using enums:

enum UserPermission: string
{
    case VIEW_USERS = 'users.view';
    case CREATE_USERS = 'users.create';
    case EDIT_USERS = 'users.edit';
    case DELETE_USERS = 'users.delete';
}

class UserController extends Controller
{
    public function index()
    {
        $this->authorize(UserPermission::VIEW_USERS);
        
        return User::paginate();
    }

    public function store(UserRequest $request)
    {
        $this->authorize(UserPermission::CREATE_USERS);
        
        $user = User::create($request->validated());
        
        return redirect()
            ->route('users.show', $user)
            ->with('success', 'User created successfully');
    }

    public function update(UserRequest $request, User $user)
    {
        $this->authorize(UserPermission::EDIT_USERS);
        
        $user->update($request->validated());
        
        return response()->json([
            'message' => 'User updated successfully',
            'user' => $user
        ]);
    }

    public function destroy(User $user)
    {
        $this->authorize(UserPermission::DELETE_USERS);
        
        $user->delete();
        
        return redirect()
            ->route('users.index')
            ->with('success', 'User deleted successfully');
    }
}

The direct enum support makes your authorization code cleaner and more maintainable.

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