9 KiB
9 KiB
| name | description | metadata | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| debugging-output-and-previewing-html-using-ray | Use when user says "send to Ray," "show in Ray," "debug in Ray," "log to Ray," "display in Ray," or wants to visualize data, debug output, or show diagrams in the Ray desktop application. |
|
Ray Skill
Overview
Ray is Spatie's desktop debugging application for developers. Send data directly to Ray by making HTTP requests to its local server.
This can be useful for debugging applications, or to preview design, logos, or other visual content.
This is what the ray() PHP function does under the hood.
Connection Details
| Setting | Default | Environment Variable |
|---|---|---|
| Host | localhost |
RAY_HOST |
| Port | 23517 |
RAY_PORT |
| URL | http://localhost:23517/ |
- |
Request Format
Method: POST
Content-Type: application/json
User-Agent: Ray 1.0
Basic Request Structure
{
"uuid": "unique-identifier-for-this-ray-instance",
"payloads": [
{
"type": "log",
"content": { },
"origin": {
"file": "/path/to/file.php",
"line_number": 42,
"hostname": "my-machine"
}
}
],
"meta": {
"ray_package_version": "1.0.0"
}
}
Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
uuid |
string | Unique identifier for this Ray instance. Reuse the same UUID to update an existing entry. |
payloads |
array | Array of payload objects to send |
meta |
object | Optional metadata (ray_package_version, project_name, php_version) |
Origin Object
Every payload includes origin information:
{
"file": "/Users/dev/project/app/Controller.php",
"line_number": 42,
"hostname": "dev-machine"
}
Payload Types
Log (Send Values)
{
"type": "log",
"content": {
"values": ["Hello World", 42, {"key": "value"}]
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
Custom (HTML/Text Content)
{
"type": "custom",
"content": {
"content": "<h1>HTML Content</h1><p>With formatting</p>",
"label": "My Label"
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
Table
{
"type": "table",
"content": {
"values": {"name": "John", "email": "john@example.com", "age": 30},
"label": "User Data"
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
Color
Set the color of the preceding log entry:
{
"type": "color",
"content": {
"color": "green"
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
Available colors: green, orange, red, purple, blue, gray
Screen Color
Set the background color of the screen:
{
"type": "screen_color",
"content": {
"color": "green"
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
Label
Add a label to the entry:
{
"type": "label",
"content": {
"label": "Important"
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
Size
Set the size of the entry:
{
"type": "size",
"content": {
"size": "lg"
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
Available sizes: sm, lg
Notify (Desktop Notification)
{
"type": "notify",
"content": {
"value": "Task completed!"
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
New Screen
{
"type": "new_screen",
"content": {
"name": "Debug Session"
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
Measure (Timing)
{
"type": "measure",
"content": {
"name": "my-timer",
"is_new_timer": true,
"total_time": 0,
"time_since_last_call": 0,
"max_memory_usage_during_total_time": 0,
"max_memory_usage_since_last_call": 0
},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
For subsequent measurements, set is_new_timer: false and provide actual timing values.
Simple Payloads (No Content)
These payloads only need a type and empty content:
{
"type": "separator",
"content": {},
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
| Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
separator |
Add visual divider |
clear_all |
Clear all entries |
hide |
Hide this entry |
remove |
Remove this entry |
confetti |
Show confetti animation |
show_app |
Bring Ray to foreground |
hide_app |
Hide Ray window |
Combining Multiple Payloads
Send multiple payloads in one request. Use the same uuid to apply modifiers (color, label, size) to a log entry:
{
"uuid": "abc-123",
"payloads": [
{
"type": "log",
"content": { "values": ["Important message"] },
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
},
{
"type": "color",
"content": { "color": "red" },
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
},
{
"type": "label",
"content": { "label": "ERROR" },
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
},
{
"type": "size",
"content": { "size": "lg" },
"origin": { "file": "test.php", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost" }
}
],
"meta": {}
}
Example: Complete Request
Send a green, labeled log message:
curl -X POST http://localhost:23517/ \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "User-Agent: Ray 1.0" \
-d '{
"uuid": "my-unique-id-123",
"payloads": [
{
"type": "log",
"content": {
"values": ["User logged in", {"user_id": 42, "name": "John"}]
},
"origin": {
"file": "/app/AuthController.php",
"line_number": 55,
"hostname": "dev-server"
}
},
{
"type": "color",
"content": { "color": "green" },
"origin": { "file": "/app/AuthController.php", "line_number": 55, "hostname": "dev-server" }
},
{
"type": "label",
"content": { "label": "Auth" },
"origin": { "file": "/app/AuthController.php", "line_number": 55, "hostname": "dev-server" }
}
],
"meta": {
"project_name": "my-app"
}
}'
Availability Check
Before sending data, you can check if Ray is running:
GET http://localhost:23517/_availability_check
Ray responds with HTTP 404 when available (the endpoint doesn't exist, but the server is running).
Getting Ray Information
Get Windows
Retrieve information about all open Ray windows:
GET http://localhost:23517/windows
Returns an array of window objects with their IDs and names:
[
{"id": 1, "name": "Window 1"},
{"id": 2, "name": "Debug Session"}
]
Get Theme Colors
Retrieve the current theme colors being used by Ray:
GET http://localhost:23517/theme
Returns the theme information including color palette:
{
"name": "Dark",
"colors": {
"primary": "#000000",
"secondary": "#1a1a1a",
"accent": "#3b82f6"
}
}
Use Case: When sending custom HTML content to Ray, use these theme colors to ensure your content matches Ray's current theme and looks visually integrated.
Example: Send HTML with matching colors:
# First, get the theme
THEME=$(curl -s http://localhost:23517/theme)
PRIMARY_COLOR=$(echo $THEME | jq -r '.colors.primary')
# Then send HTML using those colors
curl -X POST http://localhost:23517/ \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"uuid": "theme-matched-html",
"payloads": [{
"type": "custom",
"content": {
"content": "<div style=\"background: '"$PRIMARY_COLOR"'; padding: 20px;\"><h1>Themed Content</h1></div>",
"label": "Themed HTML"
},
"origin": {"file": "script.sh", "line_number": 1, "hostname": "localhost"}
}]
}'
Payload Type Reference
| Type | Content Fields | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
log |
values (array) |
Send values to Ray |
custom |
content, label |
HTML or text content |
table |
values, label |
Display as table |
color |
color |
Set entry color |
screen_color |
color |
Set screen background |
label |
label |
Add label to entry |
size |
size |
Set entry size (sm/lg) |
notify |
value |
Desktop notification |
new_screen |
name |
Create new screen |
measure |
name, is_new_timer, timing fields |
Performance timing |
separator |
(empty) | Visual divider |
clear_all |
(empty) | Clear all entries |
hide |
(empty) | Hide entry |
remove |
(empty) | Remove entry |
confetti |
(empty) | Confetti animation |
show_app |
(empty) | Show Ray window |
hide_app |
(empty) | Hide Ray window |