Configuration Files Reference

This page provides a comprehensive reference for all configuration files used by the laravel-boost-copilot-cli package. These files control testing, code quality, package features, and development environment setup.

For information about MCP configuration files (.github/mcp-config.json), see MCP Configuration File. For information about boost.json feature flags and their effects, see Boost Configuration.

Configuration Files Overview

The package uses several configuration files that serve different purposes in the development and testing lifecycle:

File	Purpose	Primary Consumer	Committed to VCS
boost.json	Package feature flags and agent configuration	Laravel Boost framework	Yes
testbench.yaml	Orchestra Testbench workbench configuration	Orchestra Testbench	Yes
phpunit.xml	PHPUnit test suite configuration	PHPUnit/Pest	Yes
pint.json	Laravel Pint code style rules	Laravel Pint	Yes
.editorconfig	Editor behavior and formatting rules	Code editors/IDEs	Yes
.gitattributes	Git repository export and diff behavior	Git	Yes

Sources: boost.json1-13 testbench.yaml1-34 phpunit.xml1-21 .editorconfig1-16 .gitattributes1-18

Configuration System Architecture

Sources: boost.json1-13 testbench.yaml1-34 phpunit.xml1-21 .editorconfig1-16 .gitattributes1-18

boost.json

Purpose

The boost.json file configures which Laravel Boost features, agents, and skills are enabled for the package. This file controls the activation of the CopilotCli agent and associated MCP server functionality.

Location: Repository root

Structure

The file contains a JSON object with the following top-level keys:

Key	Type	Description
agents	array	List of agent identifiers to enable
guidelines	boolean	Whether to enable AI guidelines generation
herd_mcp	boolean	Enable Laravel Herd MCP server support
mcp	boolean	Enable MCP server configuration generation
nightwatch_mcp	boolean	Enable Nightwatch MCP server support
sail	boolean	Whether the package uses Laravel Sail
skills	array	List of skill identifiers to enable

Sources: boost.json1-13

Configuration Values

The package's default configuration:

Key Settings:

• agents: ["copilot-cli"] - Enables the CopilotCli agent class registration via CopilotCliServiceProvider
• guidelines: true - Generates .github/instructions/laravel-boost.instructions.md from Blade templates
• mcp: true - Enables generation of .github/mcp-config.json during boost:install
• skills: ["pest-testing"] - Activates the Pest testing skill for GitHub Copilot CLI
• sail: false - Package development uses native PHP, not Docker containers

Sources: boost.json1-13

Usage Context

This file is read by the Laravel Boost framework during application bootstrapping. The CopilotCliServiceProvider registers the agent only when "copilot-cli" appears in the agents array. The file is excluded from package distribution via .gitattributes export rules.

Sources: boost.json1-13 .gitattributes14

testbench.yaml

Purpose

The testbench.yaml file configures Orchestra Testbench workbench environment, which provides a minimal Laravel application context for package development and testing.

Location: Repository root

Structure

The file uses YAML format with the following sections:

Section	Description
laravel	Laravel version or preset to use
providers	Service providers to register in workbench
migrations	Directories containing database migrations
seeders	Database seeder classes
workbench	Workbench-specific configuration
workbench.build	Build steps to execute
workbench.discovers	Feature discovery flags
workbench.assets	Asset publishing configuration
workbench.sync	Directory synchronization rules

Sources: testbench.yaml1-34

Key Configuration Sections

Laravel Version

Uses the Testbench-provided Laravel version rather than a specific version constraint.

Sources: testbench.yaml1

Migrations and Seeders

Defines where Testbench should look for database migrations and which seeder class to use.

Sources: testbench.yaml6-10

Workbench Build Process

The build process executes these commands in sequence when setting up the workbench environment:

1. asset-publish - Publishes package assets
2. create-sqlite-db - Creates SQLite database file
3. db-wipe - Wipes existing database
4. migrate-fresh - Runs fresh migrations

Sources: testbench.yaml23-27

Feature Discovery

Controls which Laravel features are auto-discovered in the workbench:

• Routes: Web and API routes are discovered
• Commands: Artisan commands are auto-registered
• Factories: Model factories are available
• Components/Views: Not used by this package

Sources: testbench.yaml16-22

Storage Synchronization

Synchronizes the storage directory bidirectionally with workbench/storage, allowing persistent data between test runs.

Sources: testbench.yaml30-33

Usage Context

This configuration is read by Orchestra Testbench when running tests via ./vendor/bin/testbench or when executing PHPUnit/Pest tests. The workbench build process is triggered by composer test or explicitly via ./vendor/bin/testbench workbench:build.

Sources: testbench.yaml1-34

phpunit.xml

Purpose

The phpunit.xml file configures PHPUnit test execution, including test suite definitions, environment variables, and code coverage settings.

Location: Repository root

Structure

The root <phpunit> element defines global test execution settings:

• bootstrap: Autoloader file to include before tests
• colors: Enable colored terminal output
• xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation: PHPUnit XML schema location

Sources: phpunit.xml1-6

Test Suites

Defines a single test suite named "Feature" that includes all tests in the tests/Feature directory. The package uses feature tests to validate CopilotCli agent functionality, guidelines generation, and service provider registration.

Sources: phpunit.xml7-11

Environment Variables

Sets environment variables for the test environment:

Variable	Value	Purpose
APP_ENV	testing	Sets Laravel environment to testing mode
APP_KEY	base64:uz4B...	Application encryption key for testing

Sources: phpunit.xml12-15

Code Coverage

Configures PHPUnit to collect code coverage data from the src directory, which contains the CopilotCliServiceProvider and CopilotCli agent class.

Sources: phpunit.xml16-20

Usage Context

This configuration is used by PHPUnit when executing tests via composer test, ./vendor/bin/pest, or directly via ./vendor/bin/phpunit. The Pest testing framework also reads this configuration.

Sources: phpunit.xml1-21

Configuration File Relationships

Sources: boost.json1-13 testbench.yaml1-34 phpunit.xml1-21

pint.json

Purpose

The pint.json file configures Laravel Pint code style rules. While this file exists in the repository, it is not included in the provided source files.

Location: Repository root

Usage Context

Laravel Pint is executed via composer lint and enforces code style consistency across the src and tests directories. The configuration follows Laravel's standard PSR-12 preset with custom rules.

Sources: Referenced in .gitattributes13

.editorconfig

Purpose

The .editorconfig file defines editor behavior and formatting rules that are recognized by most modern code editors and IDEs. This ensures consistent code formatting across different development environments.

Location: Repository root

Global Settings

Default settings applied to all files:

Setting	Value	Purpose
charset	utf-8	Character encoding
end_of_line	lf	Unix-style line endings
indent_size	4	Four spaces per indentation level
indent_style	space	Use spaces, not tabs
insert_final_newline	true	Add newline at end of files
trim_trailing_whitespace	true	Remove trailing spaces

Sources: .editorconfig3-9

File-Type Specific Settings

Markdown Files

Markdown files preserve trailing whitespace, as it can be semantically significant for line breaks.

Sources: .editorconfig11-12

YAML Files

YAML files use 2-space indentation, which is the convention for YAML configuration files like testbench.yaml.

Sources: .editorconfig14-15

Usage Context

Code editors that support EditorConfig (VSCode, PhpStorm, Sublime Text, etc.) automatically apply these settings when editing files in the repository. This works in conjunction with Laravel Pint but operates at the editor level before code is saved.

Sources: .editorconfig1-16

.gitattributes

Purpose

The .gitattributes file configures Git's behavior for file handling, including diff algorithms for specific file types and export exclusions for package distribution.

Location: Repository root

Text File Normalization

* text=auto

Enables automatic line ending normalization for all text files. Git converts line endings to LF on commit and to the system's native line ending on checkout.

Sources: .gitattributes1

Language-Specific Diff Algorithms

*.blade.php diff=html
*.md diff=markdown
*.php diff=php

Assigns specialized diff algorithms for better readability:

Pattern	Diff Driver	Purpose
*.blade.php	html	HTML-aware diffs for Blade templates
*.md	markdown	Markdown-aware diffs
*.php	php	PHP-aware diffs with function context

Sources: .gitattributes3-5

Export Exclusions

/.github export-ignore
/tests export-ignore
.editorconfig export-ignore
.gitattributes export-ignore
.gitignore export-ignore
phpunit.xml export-ignore
pint.json export-ignore
boost.json export-ignore
testbench.yaml export-ignore
/.ai export-ignore
/workbench export-ignore

Files and directories marked with export-ignore are excluded when creating distribution archives via git archive. This reduces package size when published to Packagist:

Excluded items:

• Development tools configuration: .editorconfig, phpunit.xml, pint.json, testbench.yaml
• Package-specific configuration: boost.json
• Development directories: tests/, workbench/, .github/, .ai/
• Git metadata: .gitattributes, .gitignore

Sources: .gitattributes7-17

Usage Context

These rules are applied automatically by Git during operations like git diff, git archive, and package publishing via Composer/Packagist.

Sources: .gitattributes1-18

Configuration Files by Development Phase

Phase	Active Configuration Files	Primary Purpose
Package Installation	boost.json	Determines which agents and skills to enable
Development	.editorconfig, pint.json	Code formatting and style
Testing	phpunit.xml, testbench.yaml, boost.json	Test execution and environment setup
CI/CD	phpunit.xml, pint.json	Automated testing and linting
Distribution	.gitattributes	Defines what's included in package archives
Version Control	.gitattributes, .editorconfig	File handling and formatting

Sources: boost.json1-13 testbench.yaml1-34 phpunit.xml1-21 .editorconfig1-16 .gitattributes1-18