Trait for easy creation of API responses

ApiRespond.php

<?php

namespace App\Traits;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response as SymfonyResponse;

trait ApiRespond
{
    /**
     * The status code of the response.
     * 
     * @var integer
     */
    protected $_httpStatusCode = SymfonyResponse::HTTP_OK;

    /**
     * Status OK "constant"
     * 
     * @var string
     */
    protected static $statusOk  = 'ok';

    /**
     * Status error "constant"
     * 
     * @var string
     */
    protected static $statusBad = 'error';

    /**
     * The response array
     * 
     * @var array
     */
    protected $response = [];

    /**
     * The request object.
     * 
     * @var Illuminate\Http\Request
     */
    protected $request;

    public function __construct(Request $request)
    {
        $this->request = $request;
    }

    /**
     * Respond with an error.
     * 
     * @param  mixed       $message The message you want to display.
     * @param  array       $data    Additional data to include in the response.
     * @param  int|integer $code    Optional status code. Default 500.
     * @return string
     */
    public function respondWithError($message, $code = SymfonyResponse::HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, array $data = [])
    {
        $response = [
            'errors' => [
                'status' => self::$statusBad,
                'message' => $message,
                'code' => $code,
            ]
        ];

        return $this->setStatusCode($code)
            ->respond($response)
            ->bind($data)
            ->output();
    }

    /**
     * Response when a resource is created.
     * 
     * @param  mixed  $message The message you want to display.
     * @param  array  $data    Additional data to include in the response.
     * @return string
     */
    public function respondCreated(array $data = [])
    {
        return $this->setStatusCode(SymfonyResponse::HTTP_CREATED)
            ->respond($this->successStub())
            ->bind($data)
            ->output();
    }

    /**
     * Successful response.
     * 
     * @param  mixed  $message The message you want to display.
     * @param  array  $data    Additional data to include in the response.
     * @return string
     */
    public function respondWithSuccess(array $data = [])
    {
        return $this->respond($this->successStub())->bind($data)->output();
    }

    /**
     * Outputs response as JSON
     * 
     * @return string
     */
    protected function output()
    {
        return response()->json($this->response, $this->_httpStatusCode);
    }

    /**
     * Sets the respond attribute
     * @param  array $response  The response array
     * @return $this
     */
    protected function respond(array $response)
    {
        $this->response = $response;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Sets the status code
     * 
     * @param int $statusCode
     * @return $this
     */
    protected function setStatusCode($statusCode)
    {
        $this->_httpStatusCode = $statusCode;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Array merge alias.
     * 
     * @param  array $response  The current response array
     * @param  array $data      The additional data that is being added
     * @return array            The merged arrays
     */
    protected function bind(array $data = [])
    {
        if ($data) {
            $this->response = array_merge($this->response, $data);
        }

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Generates a stub array for a success response.
     * 
     * @param  mixed $message  The message to show
     * @return array           The success array stub
     */
    protected function successStub()
    {
        return ['status' => self::$statusOk];
    }
}