Code Separation and Debugging

Controller.php

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Log;

use Laravel\Lumen\Routing\Controller as BaseController;

class Controller extends BaseController
{
    //
    //custom methods
    public function updateSetData($snag, $status, $report)
    {
        $snag['status'] = $status->status;
        $snag['type']  =  $report->snag_type_id;
        $snag['pilot_id'] = $report->pilot_id;
        $snag['aircraft_type_id'] = $report->aircraft_type_id;
        $snag['aircraft_registration_id'] = $report->aircraft_registration_id;
        $snag['snag_type_id'] = $report->snag_type_id;
        $snag['status_id'] = $report->status_id;
        $snag['snag_id']= $report->snag_id;
        $snag['status'] = $report->status_id;
        return $snag;
    }
    public static function toSnake_Case($obj)
    {
        foreach ((array) $obj as $key => $value) {
            if (strcmp(snake_case($key), $key) == 0) {
                continue;
            }

            $obj[snake_case($key)] = $value;
            unset($obj[$key]);
        }
        return $obj;
    }
}

SnagController.php

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Http\Response;

//use App\Validations\SnagValidation;

use App\Snag;
use App\SnagStatus;
use App\SnagReport;
use App\Util;
use Log;

class SnagController extends Controller
{
    protected $snag, $snagStatus, $snagReport, $saveValRules ,$updateValRules; //$snagValidation,$snagType;
    /**
     * Create a new controller instance.
     *Request $request, $id
     * @return void
     */
    public function __construct(Snag $snag, SnagStatus $snagStatus, SnagReport $snagReport) //SnagValidation $snagValidation)
    {
        $this->snag = $snag;
        $this->snagReport = $snagReport;
        $this->snagStatus = $snagStatus;
        $this->saveValRules = [
            'snag' => 'required|min:3',
            'createdById' => 'required|integer|min:1',
            'pilotId' => 'required|integer|min:1',
            'aircraftTypeId' =>'required|integer|min:1',
            'aircraftRegistrationId' =>'required|integer|min:1',
            'snagTypeId' =>'required|integer|min:1',
            'statusId' => 'required|integer|min:1',
        ];
        $this->updateValRules=[
            'snag'=>'required|min:3',
            'createdById' =>'required|min:1',
            'updatedById' => 'required|min:1'
        ];
        // $this->snagValidation = $snagValidation;
    }
    // show a list of snags
    public function index()
    {
        return $this->snag->latest()->get();
    }

    // show a single snag
    public function show($id)
    {
        return $this->snag->find($id);
    }



    // add a snag
    public function store(Request $request)
    {
        // define validation
        $this->validate($request, $this->saveValRules);
        // get all request data
        $inData = self::toSnake_Case($request->all());
        // init snag
        $snag = $this->snag->create($inData);
        // init snag type
        //Log::info ($snag->id);
        $inData['snag_id'] = $snag->id;
        $report = $this->snagReport->create($inData);
        //init snag report
        $report->snag = $snag;
        return response()->json(array('serverEvent'=> 'SAVE', 'data' => array($report)));
    }

    //update snag
    public function update(Request $request, $snagId)
    {
        //validate input
        $this->validate($request, $this->updateValRules);
        //get all input data
        $allData = self::toSnake_Case($request->all()); 
        $snag = Snag::find($snagId);
        $snag->update($allData);
        return response()->json(array('serverEvent'=> 'UPDATE', 'data' => array($snag)));
    }

}

Best Practice
The Above is a code extract of Laravel Controllers, the main controller and an extended controller (SnagController.php).
This shows separation of concerns, on line 18 where I am declaring the protected common variables.

 protected $snag, $snagStatus, $snagReport, $saveValRules ,$updateValRules; //$snagValidation,$snagType;

This is done so the global imported classes are not used directly in the overall controller which makes it easier to update code and to swap in different classes and make code changes without having to update the whole controller.

Also, I have declared some classes in the parent controller that can be used in all child controllers.

Please also note on line 69, the use of the Log class.

 Log::info ($snag->id);

As I develop I will add and remove the logging, DD and print_r when needed.
I add the above In cases when I would like to make sure that I am passing in the right values from a form or if I want to check what is being returned from a method.