Framework Bootstrap

If your documentation examples need access to a framework (Laravel, Symfony, etc.) or a custom autoloader, you can configure a bootstrap file that runs before every code block.

Configuration

Add a bootstrap key to your doctest.php config:

return [
    'bootstrap' => 'tests/doctest-bootstrap.php',
];

The bootstrap file is require_once'd at the top of every generated script, giving your code blocks access to the framework environment.

Examples

Laravel

Create a bootstrap file that boots the Laravel application:

// tests/doctest-bootstrap.php
require_once __DIR__.'/../vendor/autoload.php';

$app = require_once __DIR__.'/../bootstrap/app.php';
$kernel = $app->make(Illuminate\Contracts\Console\Kernel::class);
$kernel->bootstrap();

Your code blocks can then use facades, Eloquent, and the service container:

```php
$users = DB::table('users')->get();
echo $users->count();
```

Symfony

// tests/doctest-bootstrap.php
require_once __DIR__.'/../vendor/autoload.php';

$kernel = new \App\Kernel('test', true);
$kernel->boot();

Custom Autoloader

For projects without a framework, just load the autoloader:

// tests/doctest-bootstrap.php
require_once __DIR__.'/../vendor/autoload.php';

Tips

• Keep your bootstrap file minimal — it runs for every code block
• Use SQLite in-memory databases for documentation examples that need a database
• Group related database examples with the group attribute and use setup/teardown blocks for table creation and cleanup