Laravel Overview
Laravel is a free, open-source PHP web framework, created by Taylor Otwell and intended for the development of web applications following the model-view-controller (MVC) architectural pattern. Laravel offers a rich set of functionalities which incorporates the basic features of PHP frameworks like CodeIgniter, Yii and other programming languages like Ruby on Rails.
Key Features
- Eloquent ORM: Advanced PHP ActiveRecord implementation.
- Artisan CLI: Built-in command-line tool. Blade Templating: Lightweight yet powerful template engine.
- MVC Architecture: Clean separation of concerns.
- Database Migrations: Version control for database schema.
- Security: Built-in protection against common threats.
- Community: Large ecosystem and package repository.
Common Use Cases
Enterprise Applications
Complex business applications with authentication.
E-Commerce Platforms
Online stores with payment processing.
Content Management
Custom CMS solutions.
RESTful APIs
Backend services for mobile/web apps.
Example Code
// Laravel route example
Route::get('/', function () {
return view('welcome');
});
// Laravel controller example
Route::get('/users', [UserController::class, 'index']);
Route::get('/users/{id}', [UserController::class, 'show']);
class UserController extends Controller
{
public function index()
{
$users = User::all();
return view('users.index', ['users' => $users]);
}
public function show($id)
{
$user = User::findOrFail($id);
return view('users.show', ['user' => $user]);
}
}
// Laravel model example
class User extends Model
{
protected $fillable = ['name', 'email', 'password'];
public function posts()
{
return $this->hasMany(Post::class);
}
}
// Blade template example
/*
<!-- resources/views/users/index.blade.php -->
@extends('layouts.app')
@section('content')
<h1>Users</h1>
<ul>
@foreach ($users as $user)
<li>
<a href="{{ route('users.show', $user->id) }}">
{{ $user->name }}
</a>
</li>
@endforeach
</ul>
@endsection
*/
// Laravel Artisan command example
/*
php artisan make:controller UserController
php artisan make:model User -m
php artisan migrate
php artisan serve
*/