Web application and website creation have grown more straightforward in recent years. Even the most technologically impaired have mastered tools like WordPress and Wix. Many tools are available to help the more sophisticated developer streamline the programming process.
Laravel is one of the most helpful of these technologies. In this MarsDevs article, we will dive deeply into Laravel by introducing the fundamentals of PHP frameworks used in web development and what's new in Laravel. So, let’s get started!
The official Laravel site says, “Laravel is a web application framework with expressive, elegant syntax.” Simply said, Laravel is a PHP framework for developing cross-platform web applications. Laravel provides developers with a huge library of pre-programmed features (such as authentication, routing, and HTML templating).
Access to this library makes it easier to create complex web apps fast while reducing the amount of coding required. Laravel provides a fully functional development environment and command-line interfaces that are both easy and expressive. Laravel also employs object-relational mapping (ORM) to facilitate data access and manipulation.
Laravel apps are extremely scalable with simple codebases. Because of Laravel's flexible packaging approach and excellent dependency management, developers can easily add functionality to their apps. But is it front-end or back-end? Laravel is a backend development framework.
However, it also includes some front-end features. However, many of Laravel's functionalities are independent of the front end.
Laravel's feature set must be more extensively discussed in this brief introduction. The official site notes, “Out of the box, Laravel has elegant solutions for the common features needed by all modern web applications.” Among the most notable features are:
Laravel's route management is simple and obvious, with short names used to identify routes rather than extensive path names. Using route IDs also makes application maintenance easier because the route name may be modified in one location rather than everywhere. In a Laravel application, all web interface routes are registered in the routes/web.php file.
Laravel contains many security features, such as user authentication, user role authorizations, email verification, encryption services, password hashing, and password reset tools.
Laravel uses migrations to offer version management for application databases. Migrations document how a database has changed over time, making it easier to destroy or replace the database as needed.
Laravel's PHP templating engine is called Blade. PHP templating engines aid in the separation of business logic from HTML templating, resulting in a more easily maintained code base. Many Laravel features rely on Blade templates. Blade has greater capability than other templating engines since it permits the usage of plain PHP code, which other templating engines do not.
Laravel simplifies the validation of incoming user data. Laravel has several data validation rules and error messages that may be customized.
Laravel provides data caching to reduce application task processing times. Laravel's cache API supports several third-party cache backends, including Memcached and Redis.
When you start a new Laravel project, error handling is automatically established. Debugging Laravel apps generates precise error messages for all issues that occur.
Laravel provides extensive testing figures right out of the box. Laravel supports unit testing (small, isolated portions of application code) and feature testing (larger pieces of code and higher-level functionality).
As put on the official site, “Laravel is built for testing. Starting from unit to browser assessments, you get the hope of deploying your app!”
The current version of Laravel is version 10, with version 11 scheduled to launch in February 2024. But what’s new in Laravel 10?
PHP 8.1 is the minimal PHP version required by Laravel 10. Laravel 10 uses PHP 8.1 features, such as read-only properties and array_is_list.
PHP 8.2 was published on December 8, 2022, just two months before the release of Laravel 10. However, you should not be prevented from using PHP 8.2 features because Laravel 10 is already ready for PHP 8.2.
The whole Laravel ecosystem, including Forge, Vapor, and Envoyer, is compatible with PHP 8.2, and PHP 8.2 may even be used with Laravel 9. What a fantastic idea!
The framework, official packages, and ecosystem are professionally maintained and updated regularly. The following is a list of the most recently updated official Laravel packages that support Laravel 10:
In addition to Rails, Vue, React, and Svelte compatibility, Inertiajs 1.0.1 now supports Laravel 10.
Predis is a powerful Redis client for PHP that may assist you in making the most of caching to give an excellent user experience. Laravel formerly supported versions 1 and 2, but the framework no longer supports Predis 1 as of Laravel 10.
Although Predis is mentioned in the Laravel documentation as the package for dealing with Redis, you may use the official PHP extension alternatively. This addon adds an API for interacting with Redis servers.
PHPUnit 10 is supported by Laravel 10. It is a PHP unit testing framework; version 10 was published on February 3, 2023. PHPUnit 9 and 8 will continue to be supported in Laravel 10. Apart from all these, there are many upgrades like pest scaffolding, a faster hashing algorithm, native type declarations, and many more!
What is going to be the future of Laravel? Let’s check out some popular trends.
Microservices architecture is predicted to be popular in 2024 because it enables developers to design highly scalable and robust systems by splitting the application into smaller, more controllable components.
Microservices architecture is a method of creating software systems composed of loosely linked, independent services. Laravel, a popular PHP framework, offers a variety of functions and tools appropriate for constructing a microservices architecture.
The serverless architecture will remain a hot issue in 2024. Laravel developers may use serverless technologies to simplify application deployment and maintenance, saving time and money.
Serverless architecture is a method of developing and deploying applications and services that do not require servers. Laravel, a well-known PHP framework, may be used to create serverless apps using services such as AWS Lambda or Google Cloud Functions.
In 2024, real-time apps will become increasingly common, and Laravel's support for web sockets and event broadcasting will enable developers to construct responsive and compelling real-time applications.
The Laravel Headless CMS design is gaining popularity because it allows developers to decouple the content from the display layer, giving them greater freedom and agility when creating apps. Laravel has various headless CMS solutions, including Strapi, Directus, and Contentful, allowing developers to create dynamic and adaptable apps.
Taylor Otwell, the maker, states,” Laravel is a very powerful contender in the PHP framework, as it contains the features needed to build present-generation web applications.”
Developers looking for quick and easy web application development should study Laravel. Laravel offers a comprehensive and strong set of resources that streamline the development process by reducing the need to write many basic activities.
Laravel also has a safe virtual development environment and user-friendly command-line APIs. And because Laravel is easy to learn and has a robust support community and ecosystem, it's a logical choice for many developers, whether they're novices or seasoned pros.
Want to start web development with Laravel? At MarsDevs, we can help you to level up your Laravel project. So, why not check us out?
Contact us today, and we will help you level up your Laravel web development!
Laravel is a popular PHP framework for web application development in 2024. It is well-known for its clean syntax, simplicity of usage, and large library. Laravel has grown in popularity among developers worldwide and is anticipated to expand in 2024.
Laravel 10 was published on February 14, 2023, and is the current framework.
Laravel is one such framework that has garnered substantial interest in recent years. Its popularity has grown, as has the demand for professional Laravel developers and consulting services.
