Laravel how to create a custom Artisan Console Command

My project need a report function which run every 30 minutes.
And, here is my solution for this task: Using Artisan Console Command, combine with Linux's crontab.

1. Prepare:
- Set php environment (optional)
- Laravel 5.x
- Allow your account can run "crontab" function

2. Create a custom Console command:   GeneralReport

cd /your/project/path/
php artisan make:command GeneralReportCommand

This command will generate a class with name "GeneralReportCommand" in folder /your/project/path/app/Console/Commands/



3. Configure some importance variable in the new class:
- Command name and parameters when run command. In this example, I declare the name is "report:general" and 2 optional parameters: start_date, end_date

protected $signature = 'report:general {start_date?} {end_date?}';

- Handle command:

public function handle(){    

    // report  

    if ($this->argument('start_date')) {        

        $startDate = $this->argument('start_date') . " 00:00:00";        

        $endDate = $this->argument('end_date') . " 23:59:59";

        $period = new \DatePeriod(            

            new \DateTime($startDate),            

            new \DateInterval('P1D'),            

            new \DateTime($endDate)        

        );
        

        foreach ($period as $date) {            

            $reportDate = $date->format("Y-m-d");            

            self::doReport($reportDate);        

        }    

    } // End if    

        else {        

        $reportDate = date('Y-m-d');        

        self::doReport($reportDate);    

    }

}

4. How to Run the command? 
Open your terminal then run:

cd /your/project/path/
php artisan report:general "2017-03-20" "2017-03-23"

5. Configure crontab to run every 30 minutes

crontab -e
*/30 * * * * /u01/ottportal/env/php/bin/php /u01/ottportal/cms/artisan report:general 

Note: You may wonder why don't have any parameter? Because they're optional. In this task, if don't set any parameter, I will set report date is current date :)