🍽️ Take-Home Assignment – Implement "Create Meal" Mutation (Laravel + GraphQL)

🧠 Objective

Build a createMeal GraphQL mutation for the ourHavenAPI Laravel backend using our architectural approach: GraphQL → Resolver → Facade → Service → Eloquent Model, with input validation and event-based notification.

This task tests your ability to work with Laravel, GraphQL via Lighthouse, and service-oriented design.

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📦 Tools & Stack

This project uses:

• Laravel (PHP framework)
• Lighthouse (GraphQL server for Laravel) 👉 Lighthouse Docs – Installation
• Eloquent ORM
• Laravel Events & Listeners
• GraphQL-first API (no REST endpoints)

You’ll be working entirely through the GraphQL layer.

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🧩 Task Scope

✅ What You’ll Implement:

1. GraphQL Mutation Add a createMeal mutation that accepts required fields and returns the created meal.

2. Input Validation Use Lighthouse’s custom validator feature to enforce rules (e.g. required fields, value ranges, etc.).

3. Mutation Resolver Implement a class-based resolver that accepts input and passes it to a Facade.

4. Business Logic Layer Route logic through a Facade to a Service that handles model creation.

5. Model Interaction Create and persist a new Meal record using Laravel’s Eloquent model.

6. Event Handling After creation, fire a Laravel event to signal that a meal was created. Optionally, implement a listener for further side effects (e.g., notification or logging).

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🗃️ Assumed Database Schema

You’ll be working with a meals table. Assume the following structure:

Field	Type	Notes
id	UUID/Int	Primary key
name	String	Required
description	Text	Optional
price	Decimal	Required, positive value
category_id	UUID/Int	Foreign key (optional)
created_at	Timestamp	Auto-managed by Laravel
updated_at	Timestamp	Auto-managed by Laravel

You can include related models like MealCategory if needed.

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🔁 Flow Summary

1. Client Mutation Call: Sends a GraphQL mutation with input
2. Resolver: Handles input and invokes the Facade
3. Facade: Delegates to a Service
4. Service: Handles validation, creation, and fires an event
5. Eloquent Model: Saves the meal in the database
6. Event: Signals that a new meal was created

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🧪 Bonus Points

• Add a feature test to confirm mutation behavior
• Implement a listener that logs or sends an email on meal creation
• Use database seeding to simulate sample data

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📬 Submission Instructions

1. Clone ourHaven Test repository
2. Create a new branch for your solution
3. Push your changes
4. Make a PR to main branch

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🧾 How We’ll Evaluate

• Proper use of Laravel & Lighthouse features
• Clean architecture: GraphQL → Resolver → Facade → Service → Model
• Adherence to Laravel coding standards
• Modular, readable, and maintainable code
• Correct database interaction and event handling