How do you force a JSON response on every response in Laravel?

Question

I\'m trying to build a REST api using Laravel Framework, I want a way to force the API to always responed with JSON not by doing this manulaly like:

return Respo         


        

Answer 1

Laravel Middleware is Extremely useful in this use case.

1. Make JsonResponseMiddleware middleware.

php artisan make:middleware JsonResponseMiddleware

namespace App\Http\Middleware;

use Closure;
use Illuminate\Http\JsonResponse;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Routing\ResponseFactory;

class JsonResponseMiddleware
{
    /**
     * @var ResponseFactory
     */
    protected $responseFactory;

    /**
     * JsonResponseMiddleware constructor.
     */
    public function __construct(ResponseFactory $responseFactory)
    {
        $this->responseFactory = $responseFactory;
    }

    /**
     * Handle an incoming request.
     *
     * @param Request $request
     * @param Closure $next
     * @return mixed
     */
    public function handle(Request $request, Closure $next)
    {
        // First, set the header so any other middleware knows we're
        // dealing with a should-be JSON response.
        $request->headers->set('Accept', 'application/json');

        // Get the response
        $response = $next($request);

        // If the response is not strictly a JsonResponse, we make it
        if (!$response instanceof JsonResponse) {
            $response = $this->responseFactory->json(
                $response->content(),
                $response->status(),
                $response->headers->all()
            );
        }

        return $response;
    }
}

2. Registor middleware in App\Http\Kernel.php

protected $middlewareGroups = [

        'api' => [
            ...
            ....
            /// Force to Json response (Our created Middleware)
            \App\Http\Middleware\JsonResponseMiddleware::class,
        ],


        'web' => [
            ...
            ....
            /// Add Here as well if we want to force response in web routes too.
        ],
]

Now we will receive every response in JSON only.

NOTE: Exceptions Too