Add Inertia::deepMerge Method for Handling Complex Data Merges in Responses

[HichemTab-tech]

This PR adds the Inertia::deepMerge method to the Laravel package, complementing the new deepMerge feature introduced in Inertia.js (see the corresponding PR in the Inertia.js repository). This provides developers with the ability to merge deeply nested data structures in their props, such as arrays and objects within objects, without completely replacing the existing properties.

New Method:

• Inertia::deepMerge(): This method will mark specific props for deep merging when used with the Inertia response. Unlike the existing merge method, deepMerge performs recursive merging to handle arrays and nested properties effectively.

Usage Example:

return Inertia::render('Dashboard', [
    'items' => Inertia::deepMerge(Item::paginate())
]);

Why This Is Useful:

When dealing with complex data, such as a paginated dataset, it’s often necessary to update only parts of the data rather than replacing the entire object. For example, suppose we want to append items to the data array in a pagination object but leave meta and links intact or only partially updated:

'items' => [
    'data' => [...],   // Appending new data
    'meta' => [...],   // Meta data remains consistent
    'links' => [...],  // Links updated if needed
]

The Inertia::deepMerge() method ensures that nested properties are correctly merged instead of overwritten, offering a more granular approach to updating props in dynamic, real-time applications.

Related PR:

This PR works in conjunction with the newly added deep merging logic in the Inertia.js repository. Please see Inertia.js PR #2069 for details on the client-side implementation.

Related Issue:

• Inertia.js issue #2068

[joetannenbaum]

Thanks @HichemTab-tech!