Laravel is a popular PHP framework that is widely used to develop web applications. IT provides an elegant and efficient way to build robust, scalable, and maintainable web applications. Laravel 6, the latest version of the framework, introduces several new features and improvements. In this beginner’s guide, we will provide an overview of Laravel 6 and walk you through the process of getting started with IT.
Prerequisites
Before you can start with Laravel 6, you need to ensure that you have a suitable development environment set up. Here are the prerequisites:
- PHP 7.2.0 or higher
- Composer, a package manager for PHP
- Node.js and npm for managing frontend dependencies
- A database server such as MySQL or PostgreSQL
Installation
To install Laravel 6, you can use Composer, which is a dependency manager for PHP. Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command:
composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel blog
This will create a new Laravel 6 project named “blog” in the directory where you executed the command. Once the installation is complete, navigate into the project directory using the following command:
cd blog
Now, you can start the built-in development server of Laravel by running the following command:
php artisan serve
By default, the server runs on http://localhost:8000. If you visit this URL in your web browser, you should see the Laravel welcome page.
Creating a Route
In Laravel, a route defines a URL pattern that points to a specific PHP function (known as a closure or a controller method). Let’s create a simple route in Laravel 6. Open the routes/web.php file and replace its contents with the following code:
Route::get('/', function () {
return 'Hello, Laravel 6!';
});
The above route specifies that when a user visits the homepage (/), Laravel will execute the provided closure function and return the string “Hello, Laravel 6!” to the browser.
Accessing the Route
To access the route we just created, simply visit http://localhost:8000 in your web browser. You should see the “Hello, Laravel 6!” message displayed.
Conclusion
Laravel 6 is a powerful PHP framework that simplifies web application development. In this beginner’s guide, we covered the installation process for Laravel 6, creating a simple route, and accessing IT through the browser. This article has provided you with the basics to get started with Laravel 6. With further exploration, you can unlock a wide range of features and functionalities offered by this amazing framework.
FAQs
Q: What is Laravel?
A: Laravel is a PHP web application framework that provides an elegant and efficient way to build web applications.
Q: What are the prerequisites for Laravel 6?
A: Before starting with Laravel 6, you need to ensure that you have PHP 7.2.0 or higher installed, along with Composer, Node.js, and a database server.
Q: How to create a route in Laravel 6?
A: Routes in Laravel 6 can be created by defining URL patterns in the routes/web.php file and associating them with PHP functions or controller methods.
