Introduction

In Laravel, you may often encounter errors like:

App\Models\User NOT FOUND

or

Symfony\Component\Debug\Exception\FatalThrowableErrorClass 'App\Http\Controllers\Post' not found

Symfony\Component\Debug\Exception\FatalThrowableErrorClass 'App\Post' not found

These errors are not exclusive to Laravel; they can occur in various frameworks and languages. While the error itself is related to class loading, this article focuses on solutions specific to Laravel models.

Why Does This Error Occur?

1. The declaration "I will use this model (class)" is missing.
2. The model (class) is not being loaded.
3. The file itself does not exist.

In most cases, the issue falls into one of these three categories. While exceptions may exist, these three reasons cover almost all scenarios.

Write use App\Post

This solves issue #1

Add the use statement for the model at the top of your controller.

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers\Client;

use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

// Add the following line
use App\Post;

Be mindful of the model's location and hierarchy.

For example, you might need to write:

use App\Models\Post;

Incorrect use App\Post

If the class location (file location) is incorrect, it won't work. Ensure you write the correct hierarchy.

Verify that the class is written in the correct location.

The Class is Not Cached

This is a bit more advanced: models, controllers, and other classes are cached for their locations.

The cache holds information like "This class with this name is located here."

If this information is missing from the cache, you'll encounter this error.

For example, if you manually copy and duplicate a file, the cache won't have the necessary information, leading to an error.

In such cases, run the following command:

composer dump-autoload

This command will usually refresh the cache.

Incorrect Namespace

When you copy, move, or create a file manually, the directory where the file is saved and the namespace may not match.

Check the namespace.

namespace App;

If it's incorrect, edit the namespace and run:

composer dump-autoload

The reason for running this command is explained in the "The Class is Not Cached" section.

The File Might Not Exist

Surprisingly, this error can occur if the file itself doesn't exist.

Sometimes, an error occurs when running a command, and as a result, the file isn't generated.

Best Practices to Avoid These Errors

One recommendation is:

Always Generate Files Using Commands

For example, to generate a model, use the following command:

php artisan make:model Models/Post

This command will create the model.

If you generate files using commands, the file information will be properly cached, reducing the chances of unexpected issues.

If you want to copy content, generate the file using a command and then copy and paste the content into it.

Conclusion

That's all.

This error is one you'll get used to seeing, and over time, you'll become familiar with it.

If this article helps you resolve the issue, please share it on Twitter or other platforms.

For feedback or complaints, feel free to contact me via Twitter DM.

That's it for now!

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