10 unpopular Laravel helper functions with example code

Laravel is a popular PHP web framework that provides a wide range of built-in features and utilities to make web application development easier and faster. One of the many helpful features provided by Laravel are its helper functions, which are simple utility functions that can help you write cleaner, more concise, and more maintainable code.

While many Laravel helper functions are well-known and widely used, there are also many less popular or lesser-known helper functions that can be just as useful. These helper functions can often help you solve specific problems or accomplish specific tasks in a more efficient and elegant way than you might otherwise be able to.

In this response, we’ve provided 10 unpopular Laravel helper functions, along with example code to help you understand how they work and how you might use them. While these functions may not be as well-known or commonly used as other Laravel helper functions, they can still be incredibly useful in the right situations and can help you become a more effective and efficient Laravel developer.

1. str_includes_all($needle, $haystack): Determines if all strings in the $needle array is included in the $haystack string.

Example:

if (str_includes_all(['foo', 'bar'], 'this string contains foo and bar')) {
    // Do something
}

2. array_flatten_assoc($array): Flattens a multidimensional associative array into a single level array with dot notation keys.

Example:

$array = [
    'foo' => [
        'bar' => 'baz'
    ],
    'qux' => 'quux'
];

$flattenedArray = array_flatten_assoc($array);

// Result: ['foo.bar' => 'baz', 'qux' => 'quux']

3. object_to_array($object): Converts a PHP object to an associative array.

Example:

class ExampleObject {
    public $foo = 'bar';
    protected $baz = 'qux';
}

$object = new ExampleObject();

$array = object_to_array($object);

// Result: ['foo' => 'bar']

4. array_insert($array, $value, $position): Inserts a value into an array at a specified position.

Example:

$array = ['foo', 'bar', 'baz'];

$array = array_insert($array, 'qux', 1);

// Result: ['foo', 'qux', 'bar', 'baz']

5. str_random_alpha($length): Generates a random string consisting of only alphabetic characters of a specified length.

Example:

$string = str_random_alpha(10);

// Result: 'qswxcderfv'

6. url_add_query($url, $queryArray): Adds query parameters to a URL.

Example:

$url = 'https://example.com';

$url = url_add_query($url, ['foo' => 'bar', 'baz' => 'qux']);

// Result: 'https://example.com?foo=bar&baz=qux'

7. array_key_value_swap($array): Swaps the keys and values of an associative array.

Example:

$array = ['foo' => 'bar', 'baz' => 'qux'];

$array = array_key_value_swap($array);

// Result: ['bar' => 'foo', 'qux' => 'baz']

8. str_replace_once($search, $replace, $subject): Replaces the first occurrence of a string with another string.

Example:

$string = 'foo bar baz bar';

$string = str_replace_once('bar', 'qux', $string);

// Result: 'foo qux baz bar'

9. array_every($array, $callback): Determines if every element in an array passes a given truth test.

Example:

$array = [1, 2, 3, 4];

$allGreaterThanZero = array_every($array, function ($item) {
    return $item > 0;
});

// Result: true

10. array_last_key($array): Gets the last key of an array.

Example:

$array = ['foo' => 'bar', 'baz' => 'qux'];

$lastKey = array_last_key($array);

// Result: 'baz'

Laravel helper functions are an incredibly helpful feature of the Laravel framework, providing developers with a wide range of utilities that can simplify and speed up their development work. While many Laravel helper functions are well-known and commonly used, there are also many lesser-known or less popular helper functions that can be just as valuable in the right situations.

By learning about and using these unpopular Laravel helper functions, you can expand your toolkit as a Laravel developer, and gain the ability to solve problems and accomplish tasks in new and more efficient ways. So, next time you’re working on a Laravel project, consider taking a closer look at some of the less popular Laravel helper functions that are available and see if they can help you write better, cleaner, and more maintainable code.