What is Utility Functions

Utility functions are simple, reusable functions that perform generic, low-level tasks commonly needed across different parts of an application. They are designed to be stateless, independent, and not tightly tied to the application’s business logic.

🔧 Utility Functions Explained

🧠 Key Characteristics:

• Perform single, specific tasks
• Do not depend on external state (ideally)
• Are reusable in multiple parts of the application
• Typically small in size and pure (same input → same output)

✅ Examples in Laravel / PHP

Example:

function formatPrice($price)
{
    return '$' . number_format($price, 2);
}
echo formatPrice(1299); // $1,299.00

You can then use it anywhere:

📦 Where to Store Utility Functions in Laravel

1. Custom Helpers File
   • Create app/Helpers/helpers.php
   • Add your functions
   • Register in composer.json under autoload.files
2. Namespaced Utility Class (Recommended for Larger Apps)

namespace App\Utils; 

class StringHelper {
 public static function slugify($text) {  
 return Str::slug($text);
} 
 } 
 Usage: Helper::slugify("Hello World");

🚀 Benefits of Utility Functions

• Code reuse – write once, use everywhere
• Cleaner code – keeps controllers/models focused
• Improves consistency – centralized logic
• Boosts performance – no heavy class overhead

⚠️ When to Avoid Utility Functions

• When logic involves database access
• When the function needs state or configuration
• When logic is complex or business-specific → use services instead

🧪 Testing Utility Functions

• Easy to test if pure
• Example PHPUnit test:

public function test_format_price()
{
    $this->assertEquals('$123.45', formatPrice(123.45));
}

📝 Summary

Would you like a starter template or a set of common Laravel utility functions to include in your own helper file or package?