====

## Creating a Custom Laravel Artisan Command

Laravel's Artisan command line interface provides a number of helpful commands for development. Creating your own custom command allows you to automate specific tasks for your application.

### Step 1: Generate the Command File

Use the `make:command` Artisan command to create a new command class:

```bash
php artisan make:command ProcessTransactions
```

This will create a new file at `app/Console/Commands/ProcessTransactions.php`.

### Step 2: Configure the Command

Open the generated file and customize these key properties:

```php
protected $signature = 'app:process-transactions {date? : The date to process}';
protected $description = 'Process pending transactions in the system';
```

- `$signature`: Defines the command name and any arguments/options
- `$description`: Provides help text about what the command does

### Step 3: Implement the Handle Method

The `handle()` method contains the logic executed when the command runs:

```php
public function handle()
{
    $date = $this->argument('date') ?? now()->toDateString();
    
    $this->info("Processing transactions for: {$date}");
    
    // Your command logic here
    $count = Transaction::whereDate('created_at', $date)
        ->where('status', 'pending')
        ->get()
        ->each(function ($transaction) {
            // Process each transaction
            $this->processTransaction($transaction);
        })
        ->count();
    
    $this->info("{$count} transactions processed successfully!");
    
    return Command::SUCCESS;
}

private function processTransaction($transaction)
{
    // Transaction processing logic
    $this->line("Processing transaction #{$transaction->id}");
    // ...
}
```

### Step 4: Register the Command (Laravel 8+)

For Laravel 8 and newer, commands are auto-discovered. For older versions, register your command in the `app/Console/Kernel.php` file:

```php
protected $commands = [
    \App\Console\Commands\ProcessTransactions::class,
];
```

### Step 5: Use the Command

Run your command from the terminal:

```bash
# Basic usage
php artisan app:process-transactions

# With an argument
php artisan app:process-transactions 2023-10-15
```

### Advanced Features

- **Questions & Confirmations**: Use `$this->ask()`, `$this->secret()`, or `$this->confirm()`
- **Progress Bars**: Use `$this->withProgressBar($items, function ($item) {...})`
- **Tables**: Use `$this->table(['Header1', 'Header2'], $data)`
- **Scheduling**: Add your command to the scheduler in `app/Console/Kernel.php`

```php
// In app/Console/Kernel.php
protected function schedule(Schedule $schedule)
{
    $schedule->command('app:process-transactions')->daily();
}
```

Custom Artisan commands are powerful tools for automating repetitive tasks and creating specialized workflows for your Laravel application.