Laravel, a two-year in a row winner of SitePoint’s framework survey, is most definitely dominating the competition. Simplifying the website development process with clean and reusable code, using an expressive and elegant syntax, Laravel has created a web application framework that offers both rich features and flexibility.
Laravel successfully combines the very best features of other web frameworks such as Sinatra and Ruby on Rails in one accessible framework containing all the essential tools to create a large and robust app. Putting the focus on the end-user first, this web framework uses an expressive API, making PHP more enjoyable.
Why Laravel?
Laravel developers are provided with a portable, virtual development environment, having all the tools needed at any time! When we add the Artisan Console, plus the automatic testing and a complete authentication system, well, only a fool would pass the offer. Thanks to the modular packaging system with dependency management, Laravel developers can create new packages containing some commonly used code and add new features to a pre-existing app at any time without rewriting the whole thing from scratch.
Let’s take a look at some of the technical advantages that Laravel offers over its competitors and see why it’s by far the best PHP framework to use in 2021.
1. Artisan Console
The powerful Symfony Console component drives the CLI that comes included with Laravel. Artisan is providing the Laravel developers with a bunch of helpful commands that will ease the development process of any app.
2. MVC Architecture
Reaching out to Laravel developers, many had agreed that what makes Laravel the royalty of PHP frameworks for web development is the MVC architecture that comes up with built-in functions. Furthermore, the MVC architecture offers much more than just some nice set of built-in functionalities. It provides improved performance and by far better documentation than other frameworks.
By dividing the application into three parts with the MVC architecture, we can have splitting roles in the project. The backend developer will be working on the controller, and the frontend developer will work on the view. Their roles will be entirely separated and non-dependent from each other, which isn’t the case when we are not using an MVC architecture, and the codebase is as messy as it can become.
3. Error and Exception Handling
Let’s talk about exception handling, one of the essential features for a Laravel developer. We all know that if exception handling wasn’t hard enough, throwing exceptions is a pretty expensive operation too. Also, who’d like to think about errors and how to solve them merely when they’ve just started writing the code?
Here comes Laravel in, offering a built-in exception handler you’ll be able to overcome the exceptions easily and in a friendly manner. In fact, Laravel developers can be carefree as the exception handling matter is already configured for any Laravel-based application.
4. Reverse Routing
Reverse routing generates URLs based on route declarations, making the application itself considerably more flexible. It defines the relationship between links and Laravel routes. As long as a link is being created using the name of already existing routes, Laravel will automatically create the corresponding URLs.
5. Security
The framework itself is designed so it’ll protect you against some of the most significant security risks, such as cross-site request forgery and scripting, and you’ll be protected from SQL injection as long as you use Eloquent or Fluent Query Builder. Using an easy protecting method – Form Classes Token, Laravel will keep your application protected against a CSRF attack. We can tell you firsthand that the codebase is fanatically guarded and that several people have vetted the code, meaning that Laravel is as secure as it can possibly be.
Perfection at Sight?
It might be difficult for Laravel developers to get in the game at first because you have to have at least some experience with other web frames, especially because Laravel involves heavy documentation. During these times of transition, a massive help can be the Laravel support and even more the online developer community.
Moreover, we should have in mind that Laravel updates may indeed be able to cause minor problems because all the PHP platforms usually tend to have issues regarding the update transitions. However, as we all know, smoothing the process out will be a children’s play for a gifted developer.
The Bottom Line
No perfect framework nor software has ever been created, but Laravel could be considered close to “the one” in the PHP ecosystem. Offering many outstanding features that enable developers to build functional, fast, and user-friendly web applications, Laravel should be an ace in every web developer’s sleeve.