Helpers closure causes error in Laravel

[shummel-brunner]

The PHP Code:

   'helpers' => [
       'or' => function ($arguments) {
           $len = count($arguments) - 1;
           $options = $arguments[$len];
           $val = TRUE;

           for ($i = 0; $i < $len; $i++) {
               if (!$arguments[$i]) {
                   $val = FALSE;
                   break;
               }
           }

           return $val;
       },
       'not'=>function($val,$options){
           return !$val;
       },
       'eq'=>function($val1,$val2){
           return $val1==$val2;
       }
   ],

Laravel does not allow closures in config files (this particular one is in the handlebars.php in the config folder). It causes an error when you try run "php artisan cache:config":

$ sudo php artisan config:cache

   LogicException

Your configuration files are not serializable.

  at vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/ConfigCacheCommand.php:84
     80▕             require $configPath;
     81▕         } catch (Throwable $e) {
     82▕             $this->files->delete($configPath);
     83▕
  ➜  84▕             throw new LogicException('Your configuration files are not serializable.', 0, $e);
     85▕         }
     86▕
     87▕         $this->components->info('Configuration cached successfully.');
     88▕     }

  1   bootstrap/cache/config.php:1558
      Error::("Call to undefined method Closure::__set_state()")

      +14 vendor frames
  16  artisan:37
      Illuminate\Foundation\Console\Kernel::handle(Object(Symfony\Component\Console\Input\ArgvInput), Object(Symfony\Component\Console\Output\ConsoleOutput))

The real solution would be to add the "=" and "and" and "or" and "not" operators. Any language should have these. Short of that, there needs to be a way to put functions of some kind other than a closure in the config file, however you think is best so you can put custom functions somewhere. The ideal solution would be to fix both issues for maximum flexibility.

[shummel-brunner]

This is on a Laravel 9 site. To be clear, more recent versions of Laravel do not allow closures in config files.