PHP to Laravel

Free PHP to Laravel Code Converter

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Transform your code from PHP to Laravel with our free AI-based code convertion tool. If you like what you see, we also create documentation for your code! We don't ever store your code or any representation of it in our databases, but it will be shared with the LLM of our choice for processing.

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How to convert from PHP to Laravel

Before diving into the conversion process, it's crucial to grasp the fundamentals of Laravel. Laravel is a PHP framework that adopts an MVC (Model-View-Controller) architectural pattern. This structure divides the application into three main logical components, promoting organized and clean code.

Setting up Laravel

Installation

To start, ensure you have Composer, a dependency manager for PHP, installed. Run the following command to create a new Laravel project:

composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel projectName

Replace projectName with your desired project name. Navigate to your project directory afterward:

cd projectName

Directory Structure

Understand Laravel's directory structure, as it differs significantly from standard PHP projects:

  • app: Contains your controllers, models, and middleware.
  • resources/views: Stores blade templates for the view layer.
  • routes: Holds your route definitions.
  • database: Manages database migrations and seeds.

Migrating PHP Code to Laravel

Converting PHP Scripts to Controllers

Controllers manage the logic in a Laravel application. Create a controller to house your existing PHP logic using the Artisan CLI tool:

php artisan make:controller YourControllerName

Within this controller, define methods that correspond to your original PHP functionalities.

Example

If you had a PHP file handling user login like this:

// login.php
$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
// Authentication logic...

Convert it into a Laravel controller method:

// app/Http/Controllers/AuthController.php
public function login(Request $request) {
    $username = $request->input('username');
    $password = $request->input('password');
    // Authentication logic...
}

Utilizing Blade Templating Engine

Laravel uses Blade, a powerful templating engine, to separate PHP logic from HTML. Convert your HTML files into Blade templates.

Example

Your initial HTML file:

<!-- login.html -->
<form action="login.php" method="POST">
    <input type="text" name="username">
    <input type="password" name="password">
    <button type="submit">Login</button>
</form>

Transform it into a Blade template:

<!-- resources/views/login.blade.php -->
<form action="{{ route('login') }}" method="POST">
    @csrf
    <input type="text" name="username">
    <input type="password" name="password">
    <button type="submit">Login</button>
</form>

Defining Routes

In Laravel, routes are defined in the routes/web.php file. Set up routes that map URL paths to controller methods.

Example

// routes/web.php
Route::post('/login', [AuthController::class, 'login'])->name('login');

Handling Database Interactions with Eloquent ORM

Laravel uses Eloquent ORM for database interactions, providing an elegant syntax over raw SQL queries. Convert your SQL queries into Eloquent models and methods.

Example

Suppose you had a PHP script for fetching users:

// fetch_users.php
$query = "SELECT * FROM users";
$result = $mysqli->query($query);

In Laravel, create a User model and use Eloquent to fetch users:

// app/Models/User.php
class User extends Model {
    protected $table = 'users';
}

// In your controller
$users = User::all();

Leveraging Middleware for Request Filtering

Move your request filtering logic to middleware. Create middleware using Artisan:

php artisan make:middleware CheckIfAdmin

Define your middleware logic and apply it to routes as required.

Example

// app/Http/Middleware/CheckIfAdmin.php
public function handle($request, Closure $next) {
    if (!$request->user()->isAdmin()) {
        return redirect('home');
    }
    return $next($request);
}

// routes/web.php
Route::get('/admin', function () {
    // Admin page...
})->middleware('CheckIfAdmin');

Testing and Debugging

Unit Testing

Laravel includes robust testing features. Convert your existing test cases into Laravel’s testing framework:

php artisan make:test UserTest

Write tests using PHPUnit:

// tests/Feature/UserTest.php
public function testUserLogin() {
    $response = $this->post('/login', [
        'username' => 'testuser',
        'password' => 'password',
    ]);

    $response->assertStatus(200);
}

Debugging

Laravel’s log and dd (dump and die) functions are invaluable for debugging:

// using log
Log::info('User login attempt.', ['username' => $request->username]);

// using dump and die
dd($variable);

Conclusion

Converting from PHP to Laravel involves migrating your scripts into structured controller methods, utilizing Blade for templating, defining precise routes, leveraging Eloquent ORM for database interactions, and setting up efficient middleware. This conversion not only improves code organization but also enhances app scalability and maintenance. Follow these steps, embracing Laravel’s powerful features, and your web application will benefit significantly from improved performance and readability.

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