Today we have something special for you and it is because we utilise this something every day and this is almost always a part of our development journey.
Yes, we are talking about Laravel, the free and open-source PHP-based web framework and open-source is something we highly encourage and try using at Think To Share.
Well, today we are not going to talk about the merits and demerits of open-source software but today we have something even more interesting, we are going to talk about the advantages of using Laravel for web development.
We are going to talk about all the reasons why developers love using Laravel and the competitive advantage it brings to the entire development life cycle compared to any other web framework.
But before we do that, let us look at how popular Laravel actually is worldwide and this will give us a better idea of why it is so significant in the world of web development.
Laravel Is One of The Most Popular PPH Frameworks
Laravel is a household name if you consider the global PHP web development industry and currently 44,323 companies utilise Laravel with it being utilised on 1,723,068 websites.
What’s even more fascinating is the fact that this framework is so popular that its annual revenue is close to $5.7 million.
If you look at the data for the most popular technology skills in PHP tech stack worldwide then you are going to find that Laravel is a very close second just next to Symphony.
It has a series of benefits that make it so popular in the world of PHP web development.
Laravel is already one of the leading and most popular PHP frameworks out there used for projects and it is one of the highest rated frameworks out there.
It is even one of the highest-rated frameworks in the world and the popularity of Laravel is only going to increase with time.
So, the only thing to understand now is what makes Laravel so compatible with the worldwide programming community and why is it growing at such an exponential rate.
Well, let’s find out.
Top Advantages of Using Laravel for Web Development
Fast-paced Development
The first and most convincing reason why developers choose Laravel over anything else is simply because it has one of the cleanest syntax out there.
This means creating web-based apps is very smooth, seamless and fast which with Laravel and enables developers to spend very little time in development.
The thing with Laravel is that it has a wide array of extensive libraries and tools that make it possible for easy web development.
We must also factor in the part about the framework being modular with very easy-to-utilise pre-packaged bundles that make web development very rapid.
If you want to add functionality to Laravel then you do not need to spend a lot of time with the code and we must also mention the fact that it utilises the Model-View-Controller architectural pattern which makes app development quite easy.
This is also one of the reasons why we utilise Laravel.
Flexible Routing
If you are in the process of web development then you need to define rules easily and you need to manage different HTTP requests as a developer.
While you can utilise other frameworks out there but Laravel can get the job done because it is very flexible and it is very versatile when it comes to its routing system.
Laravel enables developers like us to utilise different route groups and research controllers as well as route names so that we can create apps with clean URLs.
It is one of the best choices out there when it comes to simple as well as advanced routing features which means we never have to compromise on routing.
Built-In ORM
One of the most important requirements of any framework is integration with databases in a reliable way and that is also where Laravel shines.
Laravel has built-in Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) which allows it to utilise active record implementation and interaction with the database.
This is very helpful for developers as we can then utilise and interact with objects like database records quite easily.
Laravel’s ORM is called Eloquent and its primary advantage is that it allows us to work with database records like reducing complex SQL queries and also interact with PHP objects.
Easy Maintenance
Developers always look for solutions that are easy to maintain and that have excellent support with a good support system and community behind them.
If you are looking for a framework like that then nothing can come close to Laravel because it has some of the best levels of ease-of-maintenance functionalities baked in.
This becomes very important as a developer because the developer can just halt their project and implement new features after some time if they want to.
One of the best examples of this is the utilisation of MVC (Model-View-Controller) which enables the framework to separate application logic from the UI.
This becomes a blessing for the developers as it makes the process of codebase updating quite easy.
Authentication System
Developers love plug-and-play solutions and that is exactly the case when it comes to the authentication system of Laravel.
Laravel comes with a built-in authentication package that makes it very easy to control protected resources and gain access to them.
This built-in authentication system comes with controllers and views and enables developers to utilise secure login and user registration as well as other safety features like password reset and remember me functionalities quite easily.
When it comes to Laravel, we also see things like role-based authorisation in the form of middleware which makes it very easy to control different parts of an application.
If we talk about the aspect of notifications then again, this framework is excellent because it supports cloud-based mail services like SMTP etc.
Third-Party Services
When it comes to third-party services, developers always look for solutions that can support the most diverse third-party libraries and APIs.
Laravel has you covered in this aspect because it has some of the best third-party libraries and services out there. This means you can expect the best kind of support when it comes to services like cloud storage and everything else.
This is important from a business side of things because developers are only going to get hired if they are able to add functionality as quickly as possible.
This is not really possible with any obscure framework that does not have support for third-party services on a scale like Laravel and that can become a problem for clients.
The thing with Laravel is that it is able to integrate multiple third-party services like payment gateways as well as cloud services and mail services.
This is partly due to the rich ecosystem of Laravel and we are going to talk about that write after this.
Ecosystem
Laravel has one of the richest ecosystems out there and it has one of the most vibrant communities available with some of the best contributors.
This is partly the reason why level has been so successful and it is because it has been supported for years by these contributors.
When we talk about support, we mean things like resources and libraries as well as packages that are available in such a capacity for this incredible framework to such an extent that is not seen in any other kind of framework.
In addition to that, there are easily accessible sources readily available to learn Laravel online which include simple things like YouTube videos to affordable courses.
This makes it very easy for any developer to get into Laravel quite easily and become a professional in no time.
The Laravel company also organises some of the most popular contests and competitions throughout the world where passionate developers get to showcase their talent through diverse projects.
So, we have a framework with an excellent ecosystem and contributors that create resources and we also have courses for this framework that are easy to learn along with a framework that is supported by companies throughout the world.
You add all these factors together and you have a recipe for success that is very difficult to match and compete with globally.
Testing and Debugging
Let us return to the aspect of web application development with Laravel because if you are working professionally then you need a framework that makes testing easy.
That is exactly the case with this popular framework as it includes things like PHP Unit as well as other features that allow testing and debugging.
In addition to that, you also get a series of other testing techniques like HTTP tests and feature tests.
You also get the very useful and popular console tests that simplify testing applications very easily and in a very practical way ready for professional deployment.
When it comes to debugging, you get login capabilities and error handling which enables developers to solve issues much more quickly and easily.
Laravel enables testing automation to a certain degree which means your developers are not going to be pre-occupied with regular systematic testing.
This is also a very important feature and something very practical that can be utilised in a professional setting.
Database Migrations
Database migration is very seamless in Laravel because it allows developers to manage database schema changes very easily.
This means you can get away with database migrations in a very convenient way where Laravel can make changes across multiple environments and different versions while having strict control over database structure.
You can get very creative with this as this framework allows you to modify and create database tables which makes it even easier to collaborate with other people in the industry and also maintain data integrity.
Add all these facilities together and you get a very short development life cycle and also a system where making database migrations and database deployment changes is quite easy.
Security
Security is something developers can never compromise with and that is why they choose Laravel because it allows for the implementation of advanced security features.
These features can be implemented quite easily in any kind of website whether it is in the form of encryption or protection from any kinds of attacks.
Laravel utilises the BCrypt Hashing Algorithm and the best part about this algorithm is that the password is never stored in the database. This makes Laravel much more secure compared to any other frameworks that store the password in the database.
Additionally, we also have other built-in features so that web applications are safe from vulnerabilities like SQL injection, cross-site request forgery (CSRF), cross-site scripting (XSS) and many more.
Laravel is also excellent when it comes to password hashing as well as password encryption and input sanitisation.
These are some of the reasons why developers choose a Laravel over anything else in spite of there being so many other options when it comes to PHP frameworks.
We hope this blog has been helpful for you to understand why Laravel is utilised and trusted by developers all over the world for the purposes of web development.
The primary reason why professionals like us trust Laravel is simply not because of any one particular reason but it is a combination of all the factors involved.
Laravel is one of the most balanced frameworks out there that makes web development quite easy and there is no shortage of resources and supporting material when it comes to Laravel.
We have been using this PHP framework for as long as we can remember.
We welcome you to visit our website and check out everything we do related to Laravel as we are Think To Share and we are pioneers in developing comprehensive solutions with the help of Laravel.
In addition to Laravel development, we also provide nearly every kind of IT solutions and services out there and we welcome you to check out everything we do.
