Laravel

Laravel framework: Benefits and features

Laravel is an open-source web application framework released in 2011. Its software design pattern, Model-View-Controller (MVC), and elegant syntax allow developers to create stable and organized applications. The MVC pattern facilitates the introduction of changes into the code and makes it reusable. This, in turn, enables you to create applications with Laravel quickly.

The Laravel framework is easy to use because it automates parts of the programming process with simple command lines, and that's just the beginning of its list of features.

Modularity

Laravel is based on modules that allow you to create elements such as safe authentication, payment modules, application testing modules, and the ability to log in with social media accounts. This modular approach enables developers to write clean and transparent code, which significantly speeds up the creation of an application.

Additionally, it allows them to divide an app's different parts into separate groups, such as database interactions, business logic, and the presentation layer.

MVC software design pattern

As mentioned, Laravel is a modular framework based on the MVC pattern. This means that a Laravel application is divided into three main components: Model, View, and Controller. This makes it possible to make changes to one part of an app without disturbing the others. Another advantage of the MVC pattern is that more than one developer can work on different components at the same time.

Efficiency

Laravel enables you to create applications that can withstand considerable traffic. This web application framework offers tools such as Composer and Laravel Debugbar that help manage internal and external libraries and ensure the code is bug-free. You can also configure route caching and buffering to fit your needs. Moreover, Laravel provides you with no-code solutions that can kickstart application development.

Testing

Laravel provides a special testing framework, PHPUnit. Thanks to it, developers can perform multiple unit tests simultaneously, speeding up the entire testing process. What's more, developers can conduct unit testing on each component separately.

Command-line interface — Artisan

This PHP framework also has a handy command line interface called Artisan. Artisan helps developers perform otherwise complex actions without writing additional code.

Artisan facilitates such things as:

• Migrating data
• Launching developer server
• Managing databases
• Generating a new controller or model

With Artisan, you can eliminate repetitive tasks and focus on developing the application's logic.

Blade template engine

Laravel uses the Blade template engine, which enables developers to use plain PHP code, unlike other similar engines. Blade keeps the HTML views clean and reusable, which speeds up the development process. Additionally, Laravel provides tools such as Livewire that allow you to make dynamic components that would otherwise require a front-end framework.

Community

The Laravel community is quite large, so developers shouldn't have many problems finding solutions to encountered issues. The community also plays a crucial part in Laravel development, helping it grow and expand its capabilities. The community ensures the meticulousness of documentation and provides developers with third-party packages that provide new functionality.

Laravel in the cloud

Laravel Vapor is a tool that helps developers deploy applications to the cloud so they can operate in a serverless environment powered by AWS. Its key features include managing DynamoDB and ElastiCache Redis clusters, cloud storage, monitoring your application's state, and the ability to create multiple environments.

Laravel vs. Symfony

Laravel and Symfony are both PHP frameworks meant to help create scalable applications. They're both decently popular and eagerly used by developers around the world. They also offer similar functions.

What sets them apart is that Laravel is mainly used for creating lightweight applications, whereas Symfony is more suited for developing more robust solutions.

Other differences include the following:

• Differences in handling databases. With Symfony, you need to create a repository, but Laravel provides Eloquent, which enables you to access databases with a simple SQL function.
• Symfony can migrate data faster.
• Symfony provides a few options for accelerating the application's performance.
• The Blade engine in Laravel performs better when creating reusable code.
• Laravel is a better choice when you want to create a reliable app fast.

Summary

Laravel is a lightweight PHP framework suitable for creating full-stack web applications. According to its creators, "Laravel takes the pain out of development by easing common tasks used in the majority of web projects, such as authentication, routing, sessions, and caching."

Laravel is a great choice if you want to quickly create an application that can withstand considerable traffic. The framework enables you to build reliable and secure applications with microservice architecture, enterprise-level apps, and content management systems.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Laravel web application framework?

Laravel is a web application framework designed to build software according to the MVC software design pattern. It uses the Balde template engine to create clean and reusable code. Thanks to features such as the command-line interface Artisan, Laravel is highly efficient because it turns complex manual tasks into quick and automated commands.

Deploying Laravel applications to the cloud is not hard either, thanks to the Vapor solutions powered by AWS.

What can you use Laravel for?

Laravel can be used to quickly develop web applications, content management systems, enterprise solutions, and more. Applications created with Laravel are highly secure, stable, and efficient.

Which framework is better, Laravel or Symfony?

The choice of the right framework depends on the developers' goals and needs. Laravel is a great choice if you're looking for a fast solution, while Symfony may prove more suitable for very complex projects. With both Laravel and Symfony, you can introduce changes to separate modules without impacting the performance of the entire app.