Laravel API Generator - VS Code Extension

Generate complete REST APIs for Laravel without touching the terminal. Visual interface for the nameless/laravel-api-generator package.

12 production-ready files per entity -- Model, Controller, Service, DTO, Request, Resource, Policy, Migration, Factory, Seeder, Feature Test, Unit Test -- plus route & seeder registration. All in one click.

Demo

Single Entity Generation

Create an entity, preview the code in real-time, and generate 12 files instantly.

JSON Bulk Import

Import a class_data.json to generate multiple entities and their relationships at once.

Quick Actions & API Docs

Run migrations, seed the database, execute tests, and open Swagger docs -- all from VS Code.

Features

Visual Entity Builder

Create API entities through a form instead of CLI flags:

• Entity name input with PascalCase validation and reserved name detection
• Dynamic fields -- add/remove fields with name and type selector (string, integer, text, float, boolean, json, date, datetime, uuid, etc.)
• Options toggles -- Auth (Sanctum), Postman collection export, Soft Deletes
• File preview -- see what files will be generated before running
• Real-time code preview -- live preview of generated code across all file types (Model, Controller, Service, DTO, etc.) with syntax highlighting and tabbed navigation
• Entity existence check -- warns if the entity already exists and files will be overwritten

JSON Bulk Import

Import a class_data.json file to generate multiple entities at once:

• Visual preview of all entities with their fields and relationships
• One-click generation for the entire schema
• Supports relationships (oneToMany, manyToOne, manyToMany, compositions, aggregations)
• Download a sample class_data.json to try it out (Blog with Author, Category, Article, Tag)

Sidebar Entity Explorer

Browse all generated entities in a dedicated sidebar panel:

• Collapsible tree view per entity
• File status indicators (exists / missing)
• Click to open any generated file directly
• Right-click an entity to delete it (with confirmation)

Quick Actions

Run common artisan commands directly from the extension with loading spinners so you always know when an action is running:

Smart Server Management

The Open API Docs button intelligently handles the development server:

1. Scans common ports (8000-8003, 8080) to find a running server
2. If none found, starts php artisan serve automatically
3. Detects the actual port and opens the correct URL
4. Server process stops when the panel is closed

Quick Start

1. Install the package

composer require nameless/laravel-api-generator

2. Install the extension

Search "Laravel API Generator" in VS Code Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X), or install from Marketplace.

3. Generate your first API

1. Open your Laravel project in VS Code
2. Click the Laravel API Generator icon in the activity bar
3. Enter an entity name (e.g. Product), add fields, choose options
4. Click Generate API

4. Try with the sample JSON

Download the sample class_data.json (Blog schema: Author, Category, Article, Tag), then:

1. Click Import JSON in the extension
2. Select the downloaded file
3. Preview the entities and click Generate All from JSON
4. Click Run Migrations then Fresh + Seed
5. Click Open API Docs to browse your new API

What Gets Generated

app/Models/Product.php                          -- Eloquent model with fillable, casts, relationships
app/Http/Controllers/ProductController.php      -- CRUD controller with service injection
app/Services/ProductService.php                 -- Business logic with filtering
app/DTO/ProductDTO.php                          -- Readonly data transfer object
app/Http/Requests/ProductRequest.php            -- Form validation rules
app/Http/Resources/ProductResource.php          -- API resource transformer
app/Policies/ProductPolicy.php                  -- Authorization policy
database/migrations/xxxx_create_products_table.php
database/factories/ProductFactory.php           -- Faker-based factory
database/seeders/ProductSeeder.php              -- Seeds 10 records
tests/Feature/ProductControllerTest.php         -- Full CRUD endpoint tests
tests/Unit/ProductServiceTest.php               -- Service layer tests
routes/api.php                                  -- Route::apiResource auto-registered
database/seeders/DatabaseSeeder.php             -- Seeder auto-registered

Requirements

• VS Code 1.80+
• PHP 8.2+ on your PATH (or configure laravelApiGenerator.phpPath)
• A Laravel 10/11/12 project
• The package: composer require nameless/laravel-api-generator

Extension Settings

Related

• nameless/laravel-api-generator -- The Laravel package (Packagist)
• Sample class_data.json -- Example Blog schema to test with
• Scramble -- Auto-generated API documentation (Swagger)

Contributing

1. Fork the repo
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/my-feature)
3. Commit your changes
4. Push and open a Pull Request

License

MIT