README

A key-value store for Laravel that keeps your settings in the database, serves them from cache in a single query, and remembers the type of each value.

KvStore::set('maintenance', false, 'boolean');
KvStore::set('features', ['beta' => true], 'array');

if (KvStore::get('maintenance')) {
    // ...
}

Requires PHP 8.2+ and Laravel 12 or 13.

Documentation

Full documentation is available at https://packages.bgaze.fr/laravel-kvstore.

A reference guide written for language models ships with the package, in docs/llm/index.md.

Quick start

Install the package:

composer require bgaze/laravel-kvstore

Publish the migration and run it:

php artisan vendor:publish --tag=kvstore-migrations
php artisan migrate

The KvStore facade is then ready to use:

// Write a value, with the cast to apply to it:
KvStore::set('name', 'a string');
KvStore::set('retries', '3', 'integer');
KvStore::set('features', ['beta' => true], 'array');

// Read it back, cast:
$retries = KvStore::get('retries');            // int 3
$default = KvStore::get('missing', 'fallback');

// Absent key, or a stored null?
KvStore::has('name');

// Read the whole store in one query:
$all = KvStore::all();

// Remove one or several entries:
KvStore::remove('name');
KvStore::remove(['retries', 'features']);

The same methods are available on the Bgaze\KvStore\Client service, which you can inject rather than reaching for the facade.

Casts

The cast is stored on the entry itself, so a value always reads back as what it was written as. Supported: array, bool, boolean, collection, date, datetime, decimal, double, float, immutable_date, immutable_datetime, int, integer, json, object, real, string, timestamp. Some take a parameter, as in decimal:2 or datetime:Y-m-d.

The third argument of set() says what to do with the entry's cast — not what the value is:

KvStore::set('retries', '3', 'integer');   // set the cast
KvStore::set('retries', '5');              // keep it: still an integer
KvStore::set('retries', '5', 'string');    // replace it
KvStore::set('retries', '5', false);       // remove it

A value also has to be storable as text. Strings, numbers, booleans, null, dates and any object with __toString need no cast; an array or a plain object does, and set() refuses it rather than writing something unusable:

KvStore::set('features', ['beta' => true]);          // refused: needs a cast
KvStore::set('features', ['beta' => true], 'array'); // fine

Anything else raises an exception, and nothing is written. Encrypted casts are refused: all() casts every entry, so one value you cannot decrypt — after an APP_KEY rotation, typically — would make your whole store unreadable rather than just that key. Encrypt the value yourself instead, and decrypt it where you control it.

Cache

The whole store is cached as one single entry, holding raw values and their cast name. A cold read costs one query for every key at once, the result is held for the rest of the request, and no read after that costs a query or even a cache round-trip. This suits a store read on most requests, and it means any write invalidates every key together.

Nothing but strings goes into the cache, never a value already cast, so the package works with a cache store told to restrict unserialization (cache.serializable_classes). On Octane the in-memory copy is dropped at the start of every request.

get() and has() cast only the key you ask for, so an entry carrying a cast Laravel refuses — a row written by hand, or by 1.x, which validated nothing — breaks that key alone rather than your whole store. all() casts everything, so it still raises on one.

Writes through the facade invalidate the cache. So do writes through the Bgaze\KvStore\Entry model, which covers seeders and direct model writes. A raw SQL write cannot be seen — call KvStore::refresh() yourself after one.

Reading the store before its migration has run is survivable: it reads as empty and logs a warning, rather than making your application unbootable. Any other database failure is raised as usual.

Publish the config file to choose the table, the cache store, the cache entry name, or to manage invalidation yourself:

php artisan vendor:publish --tag=kvstore-config

Upgrading from 2.2

set() refuses a value that cannot be written without a cast instead of storing it unserialised. Pass a cast that serialises it, or serialise it yourself.

Upgrading from 2.1

Nothing to do. Reading one key no longer casts the whole store.

Upgrading from 2.0

Nothing to do. The cached payload changed shape and is rebuilt on the first read.

Upgrading from 1.x

There is no migration to run. The migration is published, so your copy is already in place.

Change	What to do
Laravel 12 or 13 and PHP 8.2+ are now required	1.x resolved against any Laravel version, which is what this closes
`Client` methods are no longer static	Use the `KvStore` facade, or inject `Bgaze\KvStore\Client`. The `kvstore.client` container key still works
The cast passed to `set()` is now validated	A free-form cast name used to reach the framework and fail there; it is now refused up front, by name
`encrypted:*` casts are refused	Encrypt the value yourself before storing it
Reading the store before migrating no longer throws	Nothing. It reads as empty and logs a warning
Writes through the `Entry` model now invalidate the cache	Nothing, unless you relied on the stale read. Turn it off with `kvstore.cache.auto_invalidate`
The default cache entry name is now `kvstore`	Nothing. The old `settings-store-cache` entry is simply orphaned
The publish tag is now split	`--tag=kvstore-migrations`, `--tag=kvstore-config`, or `--tag=kvstore` for both

1.x remains available on the v1 branch.

Contributing

Issues, feedback and pull requests are welcome. The suite and the static analysis are the only oracle a change has here, so please keep them green:

composer update
vendor/bin/phpunit
vendor/bin/pint
vendor/bin/phpstan analyse

Licence

MIT. See LICENSE.

bgaze / laravel-kvstore

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