How I Used Laravel Prompts to Craft the Ultimate Nerdy Bachelor Party Invite

Who says programming always has to be serious and stiff? Sometimes, a well-crafted line of code can serve a unique purpose — even for a memorable event. What if I told you I used a powerful tool like Laravel Prompts for a special occasion: the invitation to my best friend's bachelor party?

Yes, you heard that right. My friend and I have known each other since we were nine years old. We've grown up debugging code, sharing nerdy jokes, and building projects just for the fun of it. A simple WhatsApp message or fancy paper invite would never have been enough. Something personal and interactive — something ours — was needed.

So, I turned to Laravel Prompts and wrote a custom CLI experience, a kind of interactive "game" to guide him to the final surprise. The result? A fun, nerdy, and highly personalized journey.

No, I won’t show the exact code — it's full of private inside jokes and references — but I will walk you through how Laravel Prompts helped make this experience possible and why it’s such a powerful tool.

Laravel Prompts: CLI Inputs Done Right

Laravel Prompts is a beautifully expressive library for building interactive command-line tools in PHP. It goes far beyond basic readline-style input. You can create forms, selections, and even conditional flows that feel smooth and user-friendly — all within your terminal.

Take this simple example:

use function Laravel\Prompts\text;

$name = text(
    label: 'What is your name?',
    required: true,
    validate: fn (string $value) => strlen($value) < 2 ? 'Too short!' : null,
);

Readable, expressive, and powerful — just like you'd expect from a Laravel tool.

My Favorite Prompt Types (and How I Used Them)

Here’s a quick list of the components I used in the invite (and how they might be used in everyday CLI applications):

• text() – Not just for basic input. You can add validation, placeholders, and hints.

  text(
        label: 'Enter your project namespace:',
        placeholder: 'e.g., Acme\\Project',
        validate: fn ($value) => str_contains($value, '\\') ? null : 'Must include namespace separator.'
    );
    

  Use case: Asking the user for config values or namespaced input.

• multiselect() – Lets users choose multiple options with arrow keys and spacebar.

  multiselect(
        label: 'Select environments to deploy to:',
        options: ['Development', 'Staging', 'Production'],
        default: ['Staging']
    );
    

  Use case: Multi-environment deployments, optional features.

• select() – Perfect for exclusive choices.

  select(
        label: 'Choose your database engine:',
        options: ['MySQL', 'PostgreSQL', 'SQLite']
    );
    

  Use case: Project setup wizards, scaffolding tools.

• confirm() – Clear yes/no prompts with customized labels.

  confirm(
        label: 'Proceed with data migration?',
        default: false
    );
    

  Use case: Destructive or irreversible operations.

• password() – Accept hidden input. In my case, I used it for a secret phrase challenge.

• table() – Used this for a fun summary in the invite. It’s also great for displaying output.

  table(
        headers: ['Service', 'Status'],
        rows: [
            ['Database', '✅ Ready'],
            ['Redis', '✅ Ready'],
            ['Queue', '⏳ Pending']
        ]
    );
    

  Use case: Displaying operation results or stats.

Validation: More Than Just Input Control

Validation isn't just about preventing wrong input — it can guide users and improve their experience. Laravel Prompts lets you write custom validation logic easily:

text(
    'Enter a valid email address:',
    validate: fn (string $value) => filter_var($value, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) ? null : 'Invalid email format.'
);

In my custom invite, validation was a central part of the game-like logic. But in real-world CLI apps, this means more robust and guided input.

Why Laravel Prompts Stands Out

What sets Laravel Prompts apart is its attention to UX — even in the CLI. It's designed with:

• Expressive syntax
• Clean API
• Dynamic flow control
• Seamless validation
• Familiar Laravel ergonomics

Whether you're building tools for production deployments, educational scripts, or — yes — a nerdy CLI invite, it just works.

Laravel Prompts helped me turn a simple idea into something playful, polished, and deeply personal. It’s a gem in the Laravel ecosystem — and like many great tools, its power lies in both its practicality and its potential for creativity.

So next time you're building a CLI tool, think bigger. Whether you're configuring environments or writing a digital love letter to your best friend, Laravel Prompts might be the tool you didn’t know you needed.

🔗 Laravel Prompts Documentation