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Laravel Best Practices

Laravel Best Practices

Most of the time we are worried and think mush how to set functions names, variables name, Single responsibility principle, Fat models, skinny controllers, Validation, Business logic should be in the service class, Don’t repeat yourself (DRY), Prefer to use Eloquent overusing Query Builder and raw SQL queries. Prefer collections over arrays, Mass assignment, Do not execute queries in Blade templates and use eager loading (N + 1 problem), Comment your code, but prefer descriptive method and variable names over comments, Do not put JS and CSS in Blade templates and do not put any HTML in PHP classes, Use config and language files, constants instead of text in the code, Use standard Laravel tools accepted by the community, Follow Laravel naming conventions, Use shorter and more readable syntax where possible, Use IoC container or facades instead of new Class, Do not get data from the .env file directly, Store dates in the standard format. Use accessors and mutators to modify the date format. So, here we’ll cover all these.

credit goes to: alexeymezenin

Single responsibility principle

A class and a method should have only one responsibility.
Bad:

public function getFullNameAttribute()
{
    if (auth()->user() && auth()->user()->hasRole('client') && auth()->user()->isVerified()) {
        return 'Mr. ' . $this->first_name . ' ' . $this->middle_name . ' ' . $this->last_name;
    } else {
        return $this->first_name[0] . '. ' . $this->last_name;
    }
}

Good:

public function getFullNameAttribute()
{
    return $this->isVerifiedClient() ? $this->getFullNameLong() : $this->getFullNameShort();
}

public function isVerifiedClient()
{
    return auth()->user() && auth()->user()->hasRole('client') && auth()->user()->isVerified();
}

public function getFullNameLong()
{
    return 'Mr. ' . $this->first_name . ' ' . $this->middle_name . ' ' . $this->last_name;
}

public function getFullNameShort()
{
    return $this->first_name[0] . '. ' . $this->last_name;
}

Fat models, skinny controllers

Put all DB related logic into Eloquent models or into Repository classes if you’re using Query Builder or raw SQL queries.

Bad:

public function index()
{
    $clients = Client::verified()
        ->with(['orders' => function ($q) {
            $q->where('created_at', '>', Carbon::today()->subWeek());
        }])
        ->get();

    return view('index', ['clients' => $clients]);
}

Good:

public function index()
{
    return view('index', ['clients' => $this->client->getWithNewOrders()]);
}

class Client extends Model
{
    public function getWithNewOrders()
    {
        return $this->verified()
            ->with(['orders' => function ($q) {
                $q->where('created_at', '>', Carbon::today()->subWeek());
            }])
            ->get();
    }
}

Validation

Move validation from controllers to Request classes.
Bad:

public function store(Request $request)
{
    $request->validate([
        'title' => 'required|unique:posts|max:255',
        'body' => 'required',
        'publish_at' => 'nullable|date',
    ]);

    ....
}

Good:

public function store(PostRequest $request)
{    
    ....
}

class PostRequest extends Request
{
    public function rules()
    {
        return [
            'title' => 'required|unique:posts|max:255',
            'body' => 'required',
            'publish_at' => 'nullable|date',
        ];
    }
}

Business logic should be in service class

A controller must have only one responsibility, so move business logic from controllers to service classes.
Bad:

public function store(Request $request)
{
    if ($request->hasFile('image')) {
        $request->file('image')->move(public_path('images') . 'temp');
    }
    
    ....
}

Good:

public function store(Request $request)
{
    $this->articleService->handleUploadedImage($request->file('image'));

    ....
}

class ArticleService
{
    public function handleUploadedImage($image)
    {
        if (!is_null($image)) {
            $image->move(public_path('images') . 'temp');
        }
    }
}

Don’t repeat yourself (DRY)

Reuse code when you can. SRP is helping you to avoid duplication. Also, reuse Blade templates, use Eloquent scopes etc.
Bad:

public function getActive()
{
    return $this->where('verified', 1)->whereNotNull('deleted_at')->get();
}

public function getArticles()
{
    return $this->whereHas('user', function ($q) {
            $q->where('verified', 1)->whereNotNull('deleted_at');
        })->get();
}

Good:

public function scopeActive($q)
{
    return $q->where('verified', 1)->whereNotNull('deleted_at');
}

public function getActive()
{
    return $this->active()->get();
}

public function getArticles()
{
    return $this->whereHas('user', function ($q) {
            $q->active();
        })->get();
}

Prefer to use Eloquent over using Query Builder and raw SQL queries. Prefer collections over arrays

Eloquent allows you to write readable and maintainable code. Also, Eloquent has great built-in tools like soft deletes, events, scopes etc.
Bad:

SELECT *
FROM `articles`
WHERE EXISTS (SELECT *
              FROM `users`
              WHERE `articles`.`user_id` = `users`.`id`
              AND EXISTS (SELECT *
                          FROM `profiles`
                          WHERE `profiles`.`user_id` = `users`.`id`) 
              AND `users`.`deleted_at` IS NULL)
AND `verified` = '1'
AND `active` = '1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC

Good:

Article::has('user.profile')->verified()->latest()->get();

Mass assignment

Bad:

$article = new Article;
$article->title = $request->title;
$article->content = $request->content;
$article->verified = $request->verified;
// Add category to article
$article->category_id = $category->id;
$article->save();

Good:

$category->article()->create($request->validated());

Do not execute queries in Blade templates and use eager loading (N + 1 problem)

Bad (for 100 users, 101 DB queries will be executed):

@foreach (User::all() as $user)
    {{ $user->profile->name }}
@endforeach

Good (for 100 users, 2 DB queries will be executed):

$users = User::with('profile')->get();

...

@foreach ($users as $user)
    {{ $user->profile->name }}
@endforeach

Comment your code, but prefer descriptive method and variable names over comments

Bad:

if (count((array) $builder->getQuery()->joins) > 0)

Better:

// Determine if there are any joins.
if (count((array) $builder->getQuery()->joins) > 0)

Good:

if ($this->hasJoins())

Do not put JS and CSS in Blade templates and do not put any HTML in PHP classes

Bad:

let article = `{{ json_encode($article) }}`;

Better:

<input id="article" type="hidden" value='@json($article)'>

Or

<button class="js-fav-article" data-article='@json($article)'>{{ $article->name }}<button>

In a JavaScript file:

let article = $('#article').val();

The best way is to use specialized PHP to JS package to transfer the data.

Use config and language files, constants instead of text in the code

Bad:

public function isNormal()
{
    return $article->type === 'normal';
}

return back()->with('message', 'Your article has been added!');

Good:

public function isNormal()
{
    return $article->type === Article::TYPE_NORMAL;
}

return back()->with('message', __('app.article_added'));

Use standard Laravel tools accepted by the community

Prefer to use built-in Laravel functionality and community packages instead of using 3rd party packages and tools. Any developer who will work with your app in the future will need to learn new tools. Also, chances to get help from the Laravel community are significantly lower when you’re using a 3rd party package or tool. Do not make your client pay for that.

TaskStandard tools3rd party tools
AuthorizationPoliciesEntrust, Sentinel and other packages
Compiling assetsLaravel MixGrunt, Gulp, 3rd party packages
Development EnvironmentLaravel Sail, HomesteadDocker
DeploymentLaravel ForgeDeployer and other solutions
Unit testingPHPUnit, MockeryPhpspec
Browser testingLaravel DuskCodeception
DBEloquentSQL, Doctrine
TemplatesBladeTwig
Working with dataLaravel collectionsArrays
Form validationRequest classes3rd party packages, validation in controller
AuthenticationBuilt-in3rd party packages, your own solution
API authenticationLaravel Passport, Laravel Sanctum3rd party JWT and OAuth packages
Creating APIBuilt-inDingo API and similar packages
Working with DB structureMigrationsWorking with DB structure directly
LocalizationBuilt-in3rd party packages
Realtime user interfacesLaravel Echo, Pusher3rd party packages and working with WebSockets directly
Generating testing dataSeeder classes, Model Factories, FakerCreating testing data manually
Task schedulingLaravel Task SchedulerScripts and 3rd party packages
DBMySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, SQL ServerMongoDB

Follow Laravel naming conventions

Follow PSR standards.
Also, follow naming conventions accepted by Laravel community:

WhatHowGoodBad
ControllersingularArticleControllerArticlesController
Routepluralarticles/1article/1
Named routesnake_case with dot notationusers.show_activeusers.show-active, show-active-users
ModelsingularUserUsers
hasOne or belongsTo relationshipsingulararticleCommentarticleComments, article_comment
All other relationshipspluralarticleCommentsarticleComment, article_comments
Tablepluralarticle_commentsarticle_comment, articleComments
Pivot tablesingular model names in alphabetical orderarticle_useruser_article, articles_users
Table columnsnake_case without model namemeta_titleMetaTitle; article_meta_title
Model propertysnake_case$model->created_at$model->createdAt
Foreign keysingular model name with _id suffixarticle_idArticleId, id_article, articles_id
Primary keyidcustom_id
Migration2017_01_01_000000_create_articles_table2017_01_01_000000_articles
MethodcamelCasegetAllget_all
Method in resource controllertablestoresaveArticle
Method in test classcamelCasetestGuestCannotSeeArticletest_guest_cannot_see_article
VariablecamelCase$articlesWithAuthor$articles_with_author
Collectiondescriptive, plural$activeUsers = User::active()->get()$active, $data
Objectdescriptive, singular$activeUser = User::active()->first()$users, $obj
Config and language files indexsnake_casearticles_enabledArticlesEnabled; articles-enabled
Viewkebab-caseshow-filtered.blade.phpshowFiltered.blade.php, show_filtered.blade.php
Configsnake_casegoogle_calendar.phpgoogleCalendar.php, google-calendar.php
Contract (interface)adjective or nounAuthenticationInterfaceAuthenticatable, IAuthentication
TraitadjectiveNotifiableNotificationTrait

Use shorter and more readable syntax where possible

Bad:

$request->session()->get('cart');
$request->input('name');

Good:

session('cart');
$request->name;

More examples:

Common syntaxShorter and more readable syntax
Session::get(‘cart’)session(‘cart’)
$request->session()->get(‘cart’)session(‘cart’)
Session::put(‘cart’, $data)session([‘cart’ => $data])
$request->input(‘name’), Request::get(‘name’)$request->name, request(‘name’)
return Redirect::back()return back()
is_null($object->relation) ? null : $object->relation->idoptional($object->relation)->id
return view(‘index’)->with(‘title’, $title)->with(‘client’, $client)return view(‘index’, compact(‘title’, ‘client’))
$request->has(‘value’) ? $request->value : ‘default’;$request->get(‘value’, ‘default’)
Carbon::now(), Carbon::today()now(), today()
App::make(‘Class’)app(‘Class’)
->where(‘column’, ‘=’, 1)->where(‘column’, 1)
->orderBy(‘created_at’, ‘desc’)->latest()
->orderBy(‘age’, ‘desc’)->latest(‘age’)
->orderBy(‘created_at’, ‘asc’)->oldest()
->select(‘id’, ‘name’)->get()->get([‘id’, ‘name’])
->first()->name->value(‘name’)

Use IoC container or facades instead of new Class

new Class syntax creates tight coupling between classes and complicates testing. Use IoC container or facades instead.
Bad:

$user = new User;
$user->create($request->validated());

Good:

public function __construct(User $user)
{
    $this->user = $user;
}

....

$this->user->create($request->validated());

Do not get data from the .env file directly

Pass the data to config files instead and then use the config() helper function to use the data in an application.
Bad:

$apiKey = env('API_KEY');

Good:

// config/api.php
'key' => env('API_KEY'),

// Use the data
$apiKey = config('api.key');

Store dates in the standard format. Use accessors and mutators to modify date format

Bad:

{{ Carbon::createFromFormat('Y-d-m H-i', $object->ordered_at)->toDateString() }}
{{ Carbon::createFromFormat('Y-d-m H-i', $object->ordered_at)->format('m-d') }}

Good:

// Model
protected $dates = ['ordered_at', 'created_at', 'updated_at'];
public function getSomeDateAttribute($date)
{
    return $date->format('m-d');
}

// View
{{ $object->ordered_at->toDateString() }}
{{ $object->ordered_at->some_date }}

Other good practices

Never put any logic in routes files.
Minimize usage of vanilla PHP in Blade templates.

Original Creator is: github.com/alexeymezenin

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