See every dump() and query, then fix the slow one
Every dump() and dd() from your PHP sites lands on Short Leash's Dumps screen with its file and line, and there's nothing to install. Laravel sites add their queries, jobs, views, HTTP calls and logs, and Explain says why a query is slow and what to change.
A slow query from northwind, taking 184 ms, sits on the Queries tab of Short Leash's Dumps screen. Explain asks MySQL for its plan without running the query. The findings: it reads every row of orders, about 48,210 of them; date(created_at) stops MySQL using an index, so compare a range instead; and an index on created_at would help, with the migration line $table->index('created_at'); ready to copy.
Every dump(), with its file and line
Dumps from any PHP site, Artisan command or queue worker show on the Dumps screen as well as where they normally print, each with the site, the request or command, and the file and line it came from.
The Capturing switch pauses and resumes capture. Inside a site, Dumps shows only that site's.
- dump() and dd() with nothing to install
- Search values, SQL, jobs, views, URLs and messages
- A slow query or an error can notify you and open its dump
Laravel's queries, and the plan behind a slow one
With Laravel details on, Laravel sites also report their queries with bindings and time, the jobs they queue, the views they render, their HTTP calls and their logs. Queries over 100 ms are marked, and Slower than hides the quick ones.
Explain reads a query's plan and says what it means: a full scan of a big table, or a column wrapped in a function so no index can help. Then it gives the change to copy, often a migration line.
- MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL and SQLite
- Copy plan copies the plan as the database wrote it
Xdebug, only when a request asks
Turn Xdebug on for a PHP version on the Runtimes screen. Short Leash starts a second PHP pool with Xdebug loaded and sends it only the requests that ask for a session, by cookie or query string, so the rest stay fast.
With Also for Artisan, queue workers and tests Short Leash runs on, command-line scripts load it too.
From your terminal and your assistant
Tools your coding assistant can use
Connect Short Leash once with claude mcp add --scope user leash -- leash mcp; Settings › Coding assistants (MCP) has the setup for other assistants. Coding assistants
Questions
How do I see dump() output without breaking the page?
Call dump() or dd() as usual. Each one also shows on Short Leash's Dumps screen with its site, file and line, from web requests, Artisan commands and queue workers alike.
Do I need to install a package in my Laravel app?
No. Short Leash loads a small PHP file before your code runs, and Laravel details registers its own service provider without changing composer.json or config/app.php.
Does Explain run my query?
No. It asks the database with EXPLAIN, never the query itself, so nothing in your database changes. It works with Short Leash's MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL and with SQLite files.
How do I use Xdebug with Short Leash?
Turn Xdebug on for a PHP version on the Runtimes screen. Only requests that ask for a debug session use it, so every other request stays fast. It connects to your editor on 127.0.0.1:9003.
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