Features of Laravel Framework & Why it is the Best Choice for PHP Web Development?
You probably already know that Laravel is the most commonly used PHP framework around the world.
This open-source PHP web framework developed and maintained by Taylor Otwell, has gained immense popularity since 2011.
- Today it boasts around 70,000 Github stars
- It has been used to create more than 640,000 websites to date.
- Around 50% of PHP developers prefer to use Laravel over other PHP frameworks.
- It is also the most popularly searched PHP framework on Google.
But with so much clout and so many fans, one starts to wonder:
What makes Laravel framework the best choice for PHP web development?
What are the best features of Laravel?
Should I choose Laravel for my next project?
Unfortunately, we can’t answer that question for you.
But we can help you make a more informed choice, by helping you understand the features and advantages of Laravel for PHP web development.
So let’s get into it.
Advantages of Laravel for PHP web development.
Here are 10 features why Laravel is good for website development.
1. Dynamic Templates
Want to create amazing layouts using dynamic content seeding?
Laravel is your best bet.
Among the many advantages of Laravel, the chief is its dynamic “Blade template engine”.
Its inbuilt lightweight templates are simple but incredibly powerful.
Especially when compared to other PHP templating engines. The templates also come equipped with features like template inheritance and data display to give you extra flexibility in the web development process.
Developers are able to use these Laravel templates to design aesthetic layouts, with stable structures for JavaScript and integrated CSS.
So not only do these web apps look great, but they also deliver consistent output and a smooth user experience.
Plus the flexibility of the templates makes it much easier for developers to modify and customize layouts without excessive coding.
2. MVC Architecture
Another crucial advantage of Laravel for PHP web development is that it is an MVC-based framework. Laravel is able to ensure clear separations between business logic and presentation layers.
It separates the model (logic, data handling), view (UI), and controller processes (interface).
But how does this matter to you?
Well, it makes coding easier for developers.
And this feature makes it easier for developers to improve the performance of web pages and apps.
The in-built MVC architecture also helps improve the scalability and security of web apps.
So if features like high performance, increased security, and easier scalability matter to you, then Laravel’s MVC architecture will leave you floored.
3. Exceptional ORM (Object Relational Mapping)
You cannot speak of Laravel to a developer without them marveling at Eloquent. Eloquent is it’s simple, yet revolutionary ORM (Object Relational Mapping).
This simple ORM feature is crucial in helping implement the PHP active code, and Eloquent is among the best in the market.
It provides web developers with a simple ActiveRecord implementation. This simplifies their interaction with databases to a great extent. And apart from the reduced effort, it also reduces their coding time significantly.
How?
The ORM allows developers to write database queries directly using PHP syntax instead of SQL. So they don’t need to know or use SQL for any database modification or updates.
Speed, easier workflows, and better database interaction, all at the same time? What more can any PHP developer ask for…
4. Open-Source Framework
The open-source Laravel stands out among a sea of PHP frameworks that come with a hefty price tag and closed access.
But why is being open source such a huge benefit?
Laravel’s open-source functionality makes it free to use, and thus reduces your development costs.
Apart from that, being open-source also reduces your launch time. It frees you from standard lock-in methods, while still offering you robust security.
All in all, the best choice for any business, whether you’re a start-up or a large business.
5. Large Community Support
Another benefit of being open source and popular is that Laravel is supported by an exceptional developer community.
Tens of thousands of developers are constantly working to develop and improve the framework further every single day.
So the next time your dev team hits a bump on the road, they have an entire community of more than 70,000 developers to turn toward to help solve the problem quickly.
6. Modular Library (Object Oriented Libraries)
Laravel boasts of being the only PHP framework that houses in-built Object Oriented libraries.
With Laravel, you will also be able to get various functionalities and features in its modular libraries. These are easy to implement and help speed up the process of creating web pages and applications.
This exclusive feature enables developers to easily check functions (like hashing, encryption, password resetting, etc.) and separate these functions into different units.
They will be able to adopt these advanced PHP principles to develop modular and more responsive web apps.
7. Glitch-Free Data Migration
Ask a developer how often they have needed to migrate data from one program to another, and their response will be, “Far too often!”.
Now with more frameworks, data migration is slow, complicated, and risks data loss.
So your project is bound to slow down and hit some bumps on the road.
With Laravel, this becomes a seamless process instead.
First off, in Laravel migration, developers can use PHP code instead of SQL, and thus there is almost no risk of losing important data.
Plus, Laravel allows you to change schema multiple times during development.
It allows you to migrate, roll back migrations, and then re-migrate again. And the best part is you won’t have to remember anything.
Once your application is done, you won’t have to bother about the steps to follow for your production environment. Laravel will automatically do it for you with zero data loss.
8. Integrated Tools
Laravel helps you reduce development time, and simplify complex tasks with its integrated tools.
Things like handling database migration, and managing multiple database systems become infinitely easier when you are working with Laravel.
It also allows your developers to create MVC files directly through the command line and manage assets with their configurations.
So developers can easily generate integrated command lines and reduce their effort, using the Artisan tool in Laravel.
9. Solid Security
Concerned about flimsy website or app security?
Laravel will be able to sort that out instantly.
Laravel uses secured session-based authentication and authorization process.
This ensures that only genuine customers are able to access your web app or software.
Plus, it also uses sanctum authentication for API and single-page applications web projects. This gives you a simple and efficient open, token-based authentication process.
And finally, Laravel comes with cutting-edge, inbuilt security functions like:
Authentication systems
Protection against CSRF
Protection against XSS
Password hashing
Cookie protection
SQL injection, and more.
10. Direct Unit Testing
And finally in our long list of advantages of Laravel is its almost unparalleled testing support.
Laravel allows you to run PHP unit testing and automation testing.
By default, it provides unit testing for apps, which also contains tests to detect and prevent regressions in the framework.
Plus it helps you avoid expensive mistakes by allowing you to easily identify and correct any bugs early on.
All in all making it fast, simple, and effortless for developers to test and ensure all checks are done easily.
Bonus Advantage of Laravel…
Not only does Laravel have a vast talent pool of developers to choose from, but it is also easy to learn. With basic knowledge of PHP, any developer will be able to get comfortable with the Laravel framework in just 2-3 weeks.
So hiring a PHP developer gets much, much easier in this talent-starved industry when you’re using Laravel.
All-in-all these advantages of Laravel make it easily the best choice for PHP web development projects of any scale.