Cattr Demo Module — Backend

A Laravel demo mode module for Cattr Server. It generates demo activity and periodically resets application data.

For the demo user selector, reset banner, and interface setup, see the frontend README.

Use this module only on a dedicated demo instance. The reset runs automatically every three hours and clears application data and screenshots without confirmation, then reruns the Cattr seeders.

Features

• A backend filter that removes password from user update requests.
• Random work plan generation for non-admin users with assigned tasks.
• Demo activity intervals with screenshots generated according to the plan every five minutes.
• A replacement screenshot service that determines the image path from the last digit of the interval ID.

Requirements

The module runs within Cattr and uses its models, factories, seeders, services, and cache. This repository does not provide a standalone application or a separate build.

module.json specifies a minimum core version of 4.0. Installation requires a configured Cattr instance with a database, accessible screenshot storage, and a working cache. Choose the PHP version according to the Cattr development guide for your server version. Screenshot generation requires PHP GD.

Installation Options

For a production deployment of a dedicated demo instance, use the Composer package cattr/demo-module. Choose a version compatible with your Cattr server and configure it through Cattr's backend module configuration.

The instructions below describe installation from source.

Installation from Source

Run all commands below from the root of the server-application repository on a dedicated demo instance.

Clone the module into the Cattr modules directory:

git clone https://github.com/cattr-app/demo-module.git modules/CattrDemo
composer update --lock

Cattr's Composer configuration includes autoload definitions from modules/*/composer.json. This module uses the Modules\Demo\ namespace, with its source code in backend/.

Add an entry to the root modules.json, preserving the settings for other modules:

{
  "CattrDemo": true
}

CattrDemo is the backend module name from module.json; demo is its alias. In Cattr, environment configuration, local configuration, and database records can override modules.json. If the module was previously disabled through the database, enable it explicitly:

php artisan module:enable CattrDemo

After changing the configuration, restart the Cattr processes, including Octane and the scheduler, so they load the module and refresh its cached state.

Preparing Demo Data

The following command deletes existing data. Run it only after setting up a dedicated demo instance:

php artisan cattr:demo:reset

The command enables maintenance mode, calls cattr:reset --force --seed --images, creates a work plan, runs the emulator, and takes the application out of maintenance mode. The Cattr core handles database cleanup and reseeding; the module has no seeders of its own.

Use the existing Cattr scheduler or configure Laravel's scheduler to run once per minute:

* * * * * cd /path/to/server-application && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

Do not add a second scheduler if one is already running in the application environment.

Commands and Schedule

Command	Action	Automatic Execution
php artisan cattr:demo:reset	Clears and reseeds the demo instance, updates the plan, and runs the emulator	Every three hours: 00:00, 03:00, 06:00, and so on
php artisan cattr:demo:plan	Creates a random plan and stores it in the cache under the usersPlan key	During a reset; also when the emulator has no plan
php artisan cattr:demo:emulate	Creates intervals with screenshots for users currently scheduled to work	Every five minutes, in the background, with overlapping runs prevented

The schedule is registered in backend/Providers/ModuleServiceProvider.php. The reset uses the cron expression 0 */3 * * *, rather than counting three hours from application startup. Execution times follow the Laravel scheduler's time zone.

If usersPlan is missing or empty, cattr:demo:emulate generates a plan and exits the current run with code 1. Activity generation starts on the next run with a non-empty plan. Users without assigned tasks are skipped.

Verifying the Installation

From the server root, check module discovery, command registration, and the schedule:

php artisan module:list
php artisan list cattr:demo
php artisan schedule:list

Check that demo activity intervals and screenshots are created after running the emulator during the working hours specified in the plan. Interface verification is covered in the frontend README.

Implementation Notes

• The user update filter does not replace Cattr's access controls. The demo instance should contain only data intended for demonstration.
• If the reset fails with an exception, the application may remain in maintenance mode: the command does not restore availability in a finally block. After resolving the cause, run php artisan up.

Structure

backend/
  Commands/                  # Reset, planning, and activity emulation
  Providers/                 # Command, schedule, filter, and service registration
  Services/                  # DemoScreenshotService
composer.json                # Backend metadata and autoloading
module.json                  # Cattr module manifest

License

The module is released under SSPL-1.0 — the Server Side Public License 1.0.