Laravel Error Message : The Response content must be a string or object implementing __toString(), “boolean” given.

In this article, an error is triggered as shown in the title of the article which is ‘The Response content must be a string or object implementing __toString(), “boolean” given’. It is an error happened on executing a script of a web-based application using Laravel as its development framework.

The error itself can be retrieved from the log file named laravel.log stored normally in a folder named storage as shown below :

[2017-05-08 07:01:12] local.ERROR: UnexpectedValueException: The Response content must be a string or object implementing __toString(), "boolean" given. in /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/symfony/http-foundation/Response.php:403
Stack trace:
#0 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Http/Response.php(48): Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response->setContent(true)
#1 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/symfony/http-foundation/Response.php(201): Illuminate\Http\Response->setContent(true)
#2 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(1042): Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response->__construct(true)
#3 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(642): Illuminate\Routing\Router->prepareResponse(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request), true)
#4 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Pipeline.php(53): Illuminate\Routing\Router->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#5 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Middleware/SubstituteBindings.php(41): Illuminate\Routing\Pipeline->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#6 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Pipeline/Pipeline.php(137): Illuminate\Routing\Middleware\SubstituteBindings->handle(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request), Object(Closure))
#7 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Pipeline.php(33): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#8 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/View/Middleware/ShareErrorsFromSession.php(49): Illuminate\Routing\Pipeline->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#9 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Pipeline/Pipeline.php(137): Illuminate\View\Middleware\ShareErrorsFromSession->handle(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request), Object(Closure))
#10 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Pipeline.php(33): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#11 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Session/Middleware/StartSession.php(64): Illuminate\Routing\Pipeline->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#12 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Pipeline/Pipeline.php(137): Illuminate\Session\Middleware\StartSession->handle(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request), Object(Closure))
#13 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Pipeline.php(33): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#14 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Cookie/Middleware/AddQueuedCookiesToResponse.php(37): Illuminate\Routing\Pipeline->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#15 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Pipeline/Pipeline.php(137): Illuminate\Cookie\Middleware\AddQueuedCookiesToResponse->handle(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request), Object(Closure))
#16 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Pipeline.php(33): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#17 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Cookie/Middleware/EncryptCookies.php(59): Illuminate\Routing\Pipeline->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#18 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Pipeline/Pipeline.php(137): Illuminate\Cookie\Middleware\EncryptCookies->handle(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request), Object(Closure))
#19 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Pipeline.php(33): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#20 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Pipeline/Pipeline.php(104): Illuminate\Routing\Pipeline->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#21 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(644): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->then(Object(Closure))
#22 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(618): Illuminate\Routing\Router->runRouteWithinStack(Object(Illuminate\Routing\Route), Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#23 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Router.php(596): Illuminate\Routing\Router->dispatchToRoute(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#24 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(267): Illuminate\Routing\Router->dispatch(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#25 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Pipeline.php(53): Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Kernel->Illuminate\Foundation\Http\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#26 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Middleware/CheckForMaintenanceMode.php(46): Illuminate\Routing\Pipeline->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#27 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Pipeline/Pipeline.php(137): Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\CheckForMaintenanceMode->handle(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request), Object(Closure))
#28 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Pipeline.php(33): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#29 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Pipeline/Pipeline.php(104): Illuminate\Routing\Pipeline->Illuminate\Routing\{closure}(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#30 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(149): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->then(Object(Closure))
#31 /var/www/html/laravel-project/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(116): Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Kernel->sendRequestThroughRouter(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#32 /var/www/html/laravel-project/public/index.php(53): Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Kernel->handle(Object(Illuminate\Http\Request))
#33 {main}

As shown in the above output of laravel.log. It is clearly stated in the beginning of the output, there is an error shown below :

The Response content must be a string or object implementing __toString(), "boolean" given.

It is being pointed out not directly in the file which is caused the error. But it is actually triggered in a controller file. It happens when a return value from a method defined inside in a controller file is set on a boolean value. It must not be set on a boolean type but on the other hand, it must be set or given a value of a string type. It can be shown as follows :

public function saveFormSummary(Request $request) {
      ... 
      $status = true;
      return $status;
}

Given the return value of a boolean type above in a method, to be able to solve the problem to handle the error specified. Just change the type of the return value into a string type as follows :

public function saveFormSummary(Request $request) {
      ... 
      $status = "true";
      return $status;
}

Depends on the case of the scenario. The above condition is performed when a page submit is directed to a method named saveFormSummary just to check the validity of the content inserted in the form. If the validation process is a success, then it will return a boolean value back to the blade view file template and proceed again with another process.