messages implemented

app/Http/Controllers/Api/Search/UserSearchController.php

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Http\Controllers\Api\Search;
+
+use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
+use App\Models\User;
+use App\Support\AvatarUrl;
+use Illuminate\Http\JsonResponse;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+
+final class UserSearchController extends Controller
+{
+    /**
+     * GET /api/search/users?q=gregor&per_page=4
+     *
+     * Public, rate-limited. Strips a leading @ from the query so that
+     * typing "@gregor" and "gregor" both work.
+     */
+    public function __invoke(Request $request): JsonResponse
+    {
+        $raw = trim((string) $request->query('q', ''));
+        $q   = ltrim($raw, '@');
+
+        if (strlen($q) < 2) {
+            return response()->json(['data' => []]);
+        }
+
+        $perPage = min((int) $request->query('per_page', 4), 8);
+
+        $users = User::query()
+            ->where('is_active', 1)
+            ->whereNull('deleted_at')
+            ->where(function ($qb) use ($q) {
+                $qb->whereRaw('LOWER(username) LIKE ?', ['%' . strtolower($q) . '%']);
+            })
+            ->with(['profile', 'statistics'])
+            ->orderByRaw('LOWER(username) = ? DESC', [strtolower($q)])   // exact match first
+            ->orderBy('username')
+            ->limit($perPage)
+            ->get(['id', 'username']);
+
+        $data = $users->map(function (User $user) {
+            $username       = strtolower((string) ($user->username ?? ''));
+            $avatarHash     = $user->profile?->avatar_hash;
+            $uploadsCount   = (int) ($user->statistics?->uploads_count ?? 0);
+
+            return [
+                'id'            => $user->id,
+                'type'          => 'user',
+                'username'      => $username,
+                'avatar_url'    => AvatarUrl::forUser((int) $user->id, $avatarHash, 64),
+                'uploads_count' => $uploadsCount,
+                'profile_url'   => '/@' . $username,
+            ];
+        });
+
+        return response()->json(['data' => $data]);
+    }
+}