Top Laravel Coding Guidelines missed by Developers.
Table of Contents:
- What is Laravel?
- Application of Laravel
- Benefits of using Laravel
- When you should not use Laravel
- Laravel Coding Guidelines Standards
What is Laravel?
Laravel is a PHP framework that offers a collection of tools and resources for developing modern PHP applications, with an entire ecosystem that takes advantage of its built-in functionality and a wide range of compatible packages and extensions. Laravel has seen rapid growth in popularity in recent years. There are many Laravel tutorials for beginners on the web. Many developers embrace it as their platform of choice for a simplified development process, thanks to an entire ecosystem leveraging its built-in functionality and a range of compatible packages and extensions.
Laravel frameworks come with a robust database tool called Eloquent, which includes an ORM (Object Relational Mapper) and built-in frameworks for creating database migrations and seeders. Developers can bootstrap new models, controllers, and other application components using the command-line tool Artisan, which speeds up the overall Laravel desktop application.
Laravel comes with a robust database tool called Eloquent, which includes an ORM (Object Relational Mapper) and built-in frameworks for creating database migrations and seeders. Developers can bootstrap new models, controllers, and other application components using the command-line tool Artisan, which speeds up overall application creation. A good Laravel tutorial for beginners will always be of good help.
Since it runs on PHP, the Laravel application guide is entirely server-side, focusing heavily on data manipulation and adhering to a Model-View-Controller design. A system like React can focus on user interaction and shiny features, but Laravel provides a strong base on which you can build — and it does so well.
Application of Laravel
Model-View-Controller, or MVC, is a design pattern used by Laravel. The “Model” is the form of the data that your application works with. This is your model: a table of users, each with a list of posts they’ve made. This model is interacted with by the “Controller.” When a user asks to see their posts list, the controller communicates with the model (usually just the database) and retrieves the information.
The controller updates the model if the user wants to make a new post. The controller houses most of your application’s logic.
The controller uses this information to create a “View.” The view is a prototype into which the model can be plugged and viewed and which the controller can manipulate. All of your application’s HTML components are included in the view.
Benefits of using Laravel
Here are some benefits of Laravel that will make your web development experience more seamless and efficient:
- Faster Time-To-Market with Laravel Development
Laravel is a PHP system that operates on a modular basis to make everyday tasks easier. It means that there are many pre-built functions and structures in Laravel that use the latest PHP principles to create responsive web applications quickly. Since Laravel’s inception in 2011, developers have improved these tools as an open-source platform with the help of Laravel coding guidelines.
This makes Laravel fast and easy to use, speeding up the development of web applications. There’s no need to waste hours and weeks writing individual lines of code while using the Laravel system. As a result, the Laravel application guide expedites application development while still being cost-effective.
2. Option for Better Authentication and Authorization
The Laravel framework makes implementing a whole authentication scheme — login, registration, and password reset — incredibly simple and straightforward. You’ll be shocked to learn that Laravel accomplishes all of this with just one command. It also makes it easy to coordinate authorization logic and manage resource access.
3. With the Laravel application guide, you can stay away from technical vulnerabilities
The term “Security Vulnerabilities” is used in conjunction with the web development process. The most critical web application security vulnerabilities, according to the OWASP Foundation, are SQL injection, cross-site request forgery, cross-site scripting, and others.
As you move through the software development lifecycle, the expense and time it takes to repair these flaws grow exponentially (SDLC). The graph below depicts the cost risk associated with the introduction of security flaws.
When it comes to protection, good Laravel coding guidelines can protect your web application from the most severe security threats, such as SQL injection, cross-site request forgery, and cross-site scripting.
So, why do you use the Laravel Framework? Since it is incredibly secure and prevents any malware or security threats from entering the web app. This means that your Laravel-powered PHP web app is fully stable.
4. Laravel Framework’s MVC Architecture
Laravel’s architecture is built on MVC, which is why it is the best PHP framework for website development. MVC architecture has built-in features that developers can take advantage of while creating your web app. In addition, as compared to other PHP frameworks, MVC architecture offers better documentation, enhanced performance, and numerous built-in functionalities.
5. Feature of Automated and Unit Testing
The Laravel Framework has a lot of testing support, which is one of its most significant advantages. You can’t guarantee that a web app is bug-free and meets the initial specifications without thoroughly checking it.
Laravel desktop applications offer automation testing support to ensure that the web app performs well, reducing the amount of time it takes to test an app. It provides easy-to-use methods for simulating users’ basic actions (for example, making requests, evaluating outputs, and filling out forms), allowing you to perform expressive testing on your app.
Laravel’s unit testing function allows you to test each part or module of your app to ensure that the whole app performs well when all of the modules are added together. As a result, high-performance mobile apps with optimized web code are created.
6. Automated Task Execution and Scheduling
A task scheduling mechanism is required in every web application to automate tasks when required — for instance, sending emails to subscribers, app updates, or simply cleaning up the database to make web apps run faster.
Web developers used to create a Cron entry for each job they needed to schedule in the past. Using Laravel’s automated order scheduler, however, you can prevent this headache. It helps you describe your command schedule quickly and expressively within the Laravel system, and it only requires a single Cron entry on your server to complete the mission.
This feature of the Laravel system improves the performance and speed of your web app and lets you save money on hosting.
7. Traffic Handling
As the application’s popularity increases, managing its traffic becomes more difficult.
The current situation is as follows: the more traffic a web app receives, the more requests it must process each second. It means that the web application’s hosting will be costly or that the website server will stop working and data will be lost.
You certainly don’t want to find yourself in this situation.
For load balancing, the PHP Laravel Framework includes a message queue system. The system aids in the maintenance of a stable web server as well as traffic control. As a result, one of the many Laravel advantages is that it keeps a web server secure.
The Laravel queue service has a single API that works with several queue backends. Queues enable you to postpone processing a time-consuming task, such as submitting an email, significantly reducing the time it takes for web requests to reach your application.
When you should not use Laravel
- Eloquent ORM
If you’ve worked with Laravel before, you’re probably familiar with Eloquent. It’s the ORM that comes with a standard installation. It has a lot of valuable features. However, the IDE’s architecture renders your application unnecessarily complicated and prevents it from adequately evaluating your code.
This is due in part to the Active Record ORM pattern being used and Eloquent’s desire to save the developer from writing more code. Doing this allows the creator to cram a lot of information into the model that doesn’t belong there.
2. Global Helpers
Laravel includes several global helper features. They seem to be helpful, and they are.
You have to be aware that you’re giving up your freedom in exchange for convenience, and your global namespace would be contaminated. It rarely causes problems, but it is preferable to prevent them altogether.
3. Facades
The points from the previous section are also relevant here. Facades appear to be a valuable tool for quickly accessing non-static methods. However, they bind you to the system once more. Instead of instructing the environment to have dependencies, you use them to fix them manually.
Laravel Coding Guidelines Standards
Laravel is a significant development platform with a large user base and a strong performance track record. Laravel is relatively stable right out of the box. However, no system can claim to be completely stable, and there are always ways to make Laravel apps more secure.
IndaPoint Technologies caters to making scalable, robust, and secure web apps using the Laravel framework. We also do code reviews made by other Laravel developers and come out with our findings. Sometimes, Laravel developers are not following standard practice and common issues, and we’ve stated the best practices above. Here is an example of a recent code review we did, and here are our findings:
1. Clean up the code, such as Fixing the HTML code, is used in the controller by creating views.
Current Scenario
There are many occurrences where HTML code is used in controllers. Example file:
ProjectA\app\Http\Controllers\frontEnd\ExerciseController.php
Example:
Solution
As per the Laravel documentation, views provide a convenient way to place all HTML files in separate files. Views separate your controller/application logic from your presentation logic and are stored in the resources/views directory.
Reference Url: https://laravel.com/docs/8.x/views
Example: return view(‘greeting’, [‘name’ => ‘James’]);
2. Usage of Email Templates and sending emails based on the Events
Current Scenario
Emails from the system are also being sent directly without using any template system. Emails are also being sent directly instead of using the ‘event’ based approach.
Example Url: ProjectA\app\Http\Controllers\Admin\UserController.php
Example:
Solution
Email templates let you plug your content into an existing template, saving you the time to design new templates for every new campaign. That means you get to spend more time creating content and less time on tedious design work.
Url:
Example:
@component(‘mail::message’)
# Introduction
The body of your message.
@component(‘mail::button’, [‘url’ => $offer[‘url’]])
Button Text
@endcomponent
Thanks,<br>
{{ config(‘app.name’) }}
@endcomponent
3. Usage of constant or use env for secret keys
Current Scenario
Avoid (accidentally) committing (exposing) your private keys, passwords, or other sensitive details(by hard-coding in them in your script) to GitHub by storing them as environment variables. See the example like this:
Accidentally pushing API keys to GitHub can be an Expensive/Stressful Lesson: https://www.quora.com/My-AWS-account-was-hacked-and-I-have-a-50-000- bill-how-can-I-reduce-the-amount-I-need-to-pay
What is Environment Variable?
An environment variable is a KEY=value pair stored on the local system where your code/app is being run and accessible from within your code.
Solution
Example Url: https://laravel.com/docs/8.x/configuration
Example: APP_NAME=” My Application”
4. Usage of Laravel validations such as email, password, etc., on the server-side
Current Scenario
Currently, we are checking required and unique emails. We also need to check proper validation for email, password, etc.
Example File: LeadingWithPride\app\Http\Controllers\Auth\RegisterController.php
Example:
Solution
Validating the accuracy, clarity, and details of data is necessary to mitigate any project defects. Without validating data, you run the risk of basing decisions on data with imperfections that are not accurately representative of the situation at hand.
Example: ‘email’ => ‘email:rfc,dns’
5. Usage of Laravel model to fetch the data.
Current Scenario
In the current scenario, we are using a model query in the controller. Instead of this, we can call the model method and get the records.
The advantage is for models to perform everyday database operations without coding lengthy SQL queries. Models allow data querying in your tables, as well as inserting new records into tables. … All you have to do is define database tables and relations between them, and Eloquent will do the rest of the job.
Example File: ProjectA\app\Http\Controllers\frontEnd\UserController.php
Example:
Solution
Example:
//Company model
public function scopeShowTask($company_code = “000001”) {
return $this->tasks()->where(“company_code”, “=”, $company_code);
}
6. If the created method gets too long, we need to call a model or create a separate process and use that. Prevent writing in very long forms.
Current Scenario
There are many places where the controller’s methods are too long written. We need to short the technique and make it easy to debug and understand.
Example File: PorjectA\app\Http\Controllers\frontEnd\UserController.php Example:
public function profile(){}
Total line of code: 226
Solution
In the above-mentioned file, there is very long code written. We can use a model or call multiple methods.
Example: this->function Name(){}
7. Usage of eloquent. Also, the needed constructor is missing from the project.
Current Scenario
Currently, we are using a model query in the controller. Also, we can use a constructor.
Example File:
LeadingWithPride\app\Http\Controllers\frontEnd\UserActivityController.,
Example:
Solution
Constructor Example:
public function __construct(UserRepository $users)
{
$this->users = $users;
}
Model Example:
//Company model
public function scopeShowTask($company_code = “000001”) {
return $this->tasks()->where(“company_code”, “=”, $company_code); }
8 . URL Restructuring for storing the assets.
Current Scenario
Currently, for assets, there are many places static URLs are given. Example File: ProjectA\app\Http\Controllers\frontEnd\UserController.PHP, Example:
Solution
We need to define the URL in constant or env file. Example: APP_ASSET_PATH = http://sitename/public/image/
9. Usage of created custom class for CSS and use it in blade file where required.
Current Scenario
Currently, many places inline CSS are written in blade files. We need to define a class and write CSS in a CSS file.
Example File: ProjectA\resources\views\frontEnd\module\view.blade.php
Example:
Solution
We can write CSS in style.css or any custom CSS. And use class for that.
10. Usage of high secure passwords like upper care symbols etc., encrypts passwords before sending or posting.
Current Scenario
Currently, we are sending passwords as plain as entered by the user.
Solution
We need to encrypt before sending a password
Example:
$plaintext_password = “Password@123”;
// The hash of the password that
// can be stored in the database
$hash = password_hash($plaintext_password,
PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
Rules:
‘password’ => ‘required| min:6|
regex:/^.*(?=.{3,})(?=.*[a-zA-Z])(?=.*[0–9])(?=.*[\d\x])(?=.*[!$#%]).*$/| confirmed’,
To conclude, the Laravel framework is the most popular framework and loved by most developers. It offers a collection of tools and resources for developing modern PHP applications, with an entire ecosystem that takes advantage of its built-in functionality and a wide range of compatible packages and extensions.
About the Author
Ahmedabadi is a seasoned web and mobile solution architect who happens to be a leader and strategist.
He is a founder of IndaPoint Technologies, a leading Laravel development company in the USA, with 15 years of experience serving web and mobile development services in the USA.
You may Hire Laravel developers from his to develop scalable, robust, and secure web apps using the Laravel framework.
