How can I autoload a custom class in Laravel 5.1?

Question

I've created a library folder within the app folder to add my own classes.

This is the content of the file app/library/helper.php:

<?php

namespace Library;

class MyHelper
{
    public function v($arr)
    {
        var_dump($arr);
    }
}

I added the namespace to composer.json:

and then I ran

$ composer dump-autoload

but it does not seem to have any effects.

The files

• vendor/composer/autoload_psr4.php
• vendor/composer/autoload_classmap.php

did not change.

If I try to create an instance of MyHelper, Laravel reports the following error:

I'm not sure what I am doing wrong.

Solution 1

Your autoloading configuration is almost good, but you have

• got the namespaces wrong
• got the paths wrong

To fix the problem, adjust your autoloading configuration:

{
    "autoload": {
        "classmap": [
            "database"
        ],
        "psr-4": {
            "App\\": "app/"
        }
    }
}

Then rename the directory /library to /Library (note the case).

Then rename the file /app/Library/helper.php to /app/Library/MyHelper.php (note how class name should match the file name).

Then adjust the namespace of the class provided by /app/Library/MyHelper to match the PSR-4 prefix (and thus the structure of your project), as well as usages of the class:

namespace App\Library;

class MyHelper 
{
    public function v($arr)
    {
        var_dump($arr);
    }
}

For reference, see:

• http://www.php-fig.org/psr/psr-4/

Solution 2

Use files directive in composer.json: https://getcomposer.org/doc/04-schema.md#files

{
    "autoload": {
        "files": ["app/library/helper.php"]
    }
}

Solution 3

Use composer.json :

   "autoload": {
    "classmap": [
        "database",
        "app/Transformers"
    ]
 },

Add your auto load directories like I added app/Transformers.

Don't Forget to add run composer dump-autoload.

The only problem with this method is you need to run composer dump-autoload whenever you add new class do that directory.

Or You can use "Files" in composer.json.

"autoload": {
    "files": ["src/MyLibrary/functions.php"]
}

Comments

[localheinz]

No, it says App\Library.

[Zachary Weixelbaum]

Oh I didn't realize you used lower case. In Laravel it will recognize both upper case and lower case for the file structure. I have had a folder called library and namespace Library and it worked