What You Need to Know Before Creating Your First Laravel Project
Laravel is a framework option to speed up coding and basic tasks when creating new websites, apps and software. Developers with basic knowledge of coding languages such as PHP, HTML and SQL will have a much easier time understanding the complexities of the software. Before attempting a first Laravel project, brush up on any coding skills that might be stale or have gaps.
What Does Laravel Do?
No matter what type of project developers work on, some things must be coded repeatedly, such as authentication for custom web apps. Laravel projects offer a chance to complete tasks faster and get an idea up and running to share with investors or other stakeholders.
No matter how adept someone is at coding languages and working with various frameworks, learning a new one is challenging. Fortunately, there are ways to prepare for using Laravel for the first time.
How to Prepare for Your First Laravel Project
The global developer population is around 26.9 million, with approximately 8% in Europe. Much of industry growth is coming from China, so developers in the U.K. must find ways to remain competitive with the plethora of developers in the United States, India and the Asia Pacific region.
Using Laravel on projects is one way to ensure productivity and clean coding. Here are some of the best ways to prepare for a Laravel project.
1. Understand Coding Languages
A developer already adept at coding languages such as HTML, PHP and SQL can likely learn to use Laravel proficiently in under a month. However, some people may need more time to figure out the ins and outs of a new framework.
Is it worth the effort to learn a new framework when there are others someone might already be familiar with? It depends on the types of projects in development and how much Laravel might clean code or speed app development. The program is fairly user-friendly. It can be utilized for any kind of web development project, from a personal blog to creating a ticket support system.
If working with a large team, switching to a new framework could allow recent additions to the staff to hit the ground running and understand functions faster.
2. Monitor Joins
Those who manage databases frequently use joins to select data or refine queries. Pay attention to how frequently the development team uses joins. Laravel’s Eloquent Power Joins package speeds up processes and works for polymorphic relationships.
Knowing whether Laravel for a project is right for a team means figuring out how much time might be saved utilizing the framework.
3. Set Aside Time
Because Laravel is a new concept in frameworks, pulling from existing languages and frameworks, set aside some time to become familiar with the program. Those particularly adept at learning new coding languages might pick it up more quickly than others.
Various reviews point to the ease of learning how to use Laravel. However, how simple it is to adapt to may depend on skill level and experience working with other frameworks.
If Laravel is the first framework someone encounters, the learning curve could be greater and take longer. It taps into powerful languages most developers already know, so many find it an easy framework to understand.
4. Install Laravel for Projects
Installing Laravel isn’t as simple as downloading and uploading software. The program utilizes Composer, which must be downloaded. There is also a version for Windows users.
● Place the composer directory in the PATH so laravel is executable.
● Type the command: composer global require "laravel/installer=~1.1"
● Once installed, type the command to create something new.
Examples of various commands are available in Laravel files and via tutorials on its website.
5. Understand Back End Versus Front End
Most developers have a strong grasp of front-end versus back-end development. Think about the projects in the works and how the framework impacts them. For example, designing a login for team members looks different than creating a blog for readers.
Front-end developers can utilize Laravel to ensure the user experience is the best it can be, such as by creating a responsive website. Brush up on the various commands needed to create different functions for a website or app.
The software is useful for various projects. Think about which ones might be easier with a bit of automatic coding and optimization tactics.
6. View Laravel Tutorials
Because Laravel is free and an open-source PHP framework, users will find tons of tutorials, videos and advice on how best to learn the platform. A Laravel project can be simple or complex. It can take a few minutes to complete or days, depending on various factors.
Someone who needs the basics of a framework’s functions can find tutorials on the Laravel website. However, third parties also create step-by-step descriptions of how to work through the platform and utilize it for development.
Jump in Headfirst With Laravel Project Management
Any computer geek or developer will claim the best way to learn how to use a new framework or software is by jumping in and trying it out. At first, the work will be challenging. Once people become more comfortable with Laravel or any other framework, familiarity sets in and projects become more intuitive.
The best way to see if Laravel is right for a project is to install and try it out. Most developers find it speeds work up and helps keep code clean and error-free, paving the way for polished results.
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Author: Eleanor Hecks
Eleanor is the founder and managing editor of Designerly Magazine. She’s also a web design consultant with a focus on customer experience. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dogs, Bear and Lucy