Unable to make my own 'api' middleware alias in order to use a dependency with laravel 11.x. What should I do?

To create an alias for your custom middleware in Laravel 11.x, follow these steps:

Create a new middleware: First, create a new middleware file using the make:middleware Artisan command. For example, if you want to create a middleware named CustomMiddleware, run the following command:
```
php artisan make:middleware CustomMiddleware
```
This command will create a new file located at app/Http/Middleware/CustomMiddleware.php.
Register the middleware: Next, you need to register your middleware in the app/Http/Kernel.php file. Open the file and add the middleware to the $routeMiddleware array:
```
protected $routeMiddleware = [
    // ...
    'custom' => \App\Http\Middleware\CustomMiddleware::class,
];
```
Make sure to replace CustomMiddleware with the name of your middleware class.

Use the alias: Now, you can use the alias custom in your routes or other middleware to apply your custom middleware. For example, in a route file:

Route::get('/example', function () {
    // ...
})->middleware('custom');

Or in another middleware:

public function handle($request, Closure $next, $guard = null)
{
    // ...

    return $next($request)->withMiddleware(
        app(\App\Http\Middleware\CustomMiddleware::class)
    );
}

Make sure to replace CustomMiddleware with the name of your middleware class.

If you are trying to use a dependency in your middleware and are unable to make the alias, follow these steps:

Install the dependency: Make sure you have installed the dependency using Composer. Run the following command to install it:
```
composer require <vendor-name>/<package-name>
```
Replace <vendor-name> and <package-name> with the actual vendor name and package name.
Register the service provider: If the dependency comes with a service provider, make sure to register it in the config/app.php file under the providers array:
```
'providers' => [
    // ...
    \Vendor\Package\ServiceProvider::class,
],
```
Replace Vendor\Package\ServiceProvider with the actual namespace of the service provider.

Use the dependency: In your middleware, you can use the dependency by injecting it using the constructor:

namespace App\Http\Middleware;

use Closure;
use Vendor\Package\Dependency;

class CustomMiddleware
{
    protected $dependency;

    public function __construct(Dependency $dependency)
    {
        $this->dependency = $dependency;
    }

    public function handle($request, Closure $next)
    {
        // Use the dependency here

        return $next($request);
    }
}

Make sure to replace Vendor\Package\Dependency with the actual namespace of the dependency.

Apply the middleware: Now, you can use the middleware with the alias you created earlier:

Route::get('/example', function () {
    // ...
})->middleware('custom');

Or in another middleware:

public function handle($request, Closure $next, $guard = null)
{
    // ...

    return $next($request)->withMiddleware(
        app(\App\Http\Middleware\CustomMiddleware::class)
    );
}

Make sure to replace CustomMiddleware with the name of your middleware class.