phpattempt/phpattempt

Helper function to enforce error-first approach in your code

v1.0.2 2025-03-23 18:38 UTC

Requires

• php: ^8.2.0

Requires (Dev)

• pestphp/pest: ^3.7

MIT

• webpnk

• php
• exception
• error

README

A minimalistic PHP package that encourages error-first programming approach, helping you write more reliable and maintainable code.

Installation

composer require phpattempt/phpattempt

Usage

The attempt() function takes a callable and returns an array containing the result and any potential error:

[$data, $error] = attempt(fn () => someRiskyOperation());

if ($error) {
    // Handle error
    log($error->getMessage());
    return;
}

// Process $data safely
echo $data;

Why Use PHPAttempt?

• 🎯 Error-First Mindset : Forces developers to consider error cases first
• 🧩 Clean Code : Reduces try-catch block nesting and improves readability
• 🔒 Type-Safe : Fully typed return values for better IDE support
• 🪶 Lightweight : Zero dependencies, just one function
• ⚡ Framework Agnostic : Works with any PHP project

Requirements

• PHP 8.2 or higher

Basic Examples

// Simple calculation
[$result, $error] = attempt(fn () => 1 + 1);
// $result = 2, $error = null

// Handling potential errors
[$user, $error] = attempt(function () {
    if (!validateInput()) {
        throw new InvalidArgumentException('Invalid input');
    }
    return createUser();
});

if ($error) {
    return response()->json(['error' => $error->getMessage()], 400);
}

Usage with Laravel example

// Controller method
public function store(Request $request)
{
    [$user, $error] = attempt(function () use ($request) {
        return User::create($request->validated());
    });

    if ($error) {
        return back()->withErrors(['message' => $error->getMessage()]);
    }

    return redirect()->route('users.show', $user);
}

// Service layer
public function processPayment(Order $order)
{
    [$transaction, $error] = attempt(function () use ($order) {
        $payment = StripePayment::create([
            'amount' => $order->total,
            'currency' => 'usd',
        ]);

        return $order->transactions()->create([
            'payment_id' => $payment->id,
            'status' => 'completed'
        ]);
    });

    if ($error) {
        Log::error('Payment failed: ' . $error->getMessage());
        throw new PaymentFailedException($error->getMessage());
    }

    return $transaction;
}

Nested Attempts

You can safely nest attempt() calls:

[$result, $error] = attempt(function () {
    [$user, $userError] = attempt(fn () => User::findOrFail($id));
    
    if ($userError) {
        throw new UserNotFoundException($userError->getMessage());
    }
    
    [$order, $orderError] = attempt(fn () => $user->orders()->latest()->firstOrFail());
    
    if ($orderError) {
        throw new OrderNotFoundException($orderError->getMessage());
    }
    
    return ['user' => $user, 'last_order' => $order];
});

License

The MIT License (MIT). Please see License File for more information.

Credits

webpnk.dev