alsoLaravel is an open-source PHP framework that is popular for its expressive and simple syntax. The most recent version of the Laravel framework is Laravel 9, which was released on February 8th, 2022. Laravel web Application is commonly used to develop high-performance object-oriented, MVC-based web applications. Laravel 9 has brought certain important updates that can be useful for Laravel web application development. This article will explain why you should upgrade your existing Laravel web application to Laravel 9.

Requirement of Laravel 9

Laravel as a framework has system dependencies in different community-driven and Symfony 9 libraries. As Symfony planned to release v6.0 in November 2021, that forced the Laravel team to delay the release of Laravel 9. Laravel 9 requires PHP 8 and also a number of other prerequisites for the web applications to run smoothly. PHP 8 brings many optimizations and powerful features to the scripting language that will allow PHP Developers like us to write clean and better code and build more robust applications. The most celebrated feature in PHP 8 is the Just-in-time (JIT) compiler.

Features of Laravel 9

The PHP string function is one of the primary features of Laravel 9 to look after because this new version is more focused on using PHP 8.0 and its string function that includes str_contains(), str_starts_with(), and str_ends_with(). The other main features of the Laravel 9 framework are listed and described below:

Eloquent ORM

The object-relational mapper for the Laravel application is known as Eloquent. It is one of the best features of Laravel as it allows for smooth interaction with the preferred data model and also database. Laravel web application abstracts away all the complications involving interacting and writing complex SQL queries to access data from the database.

 Artisan CLI

The Artisan CLI is another necessary aspect of Laravel, you can build or customize any part of Laravel applications from the command line without having to navigate through directories` and files. With Artisan CLI or command line you can even interact with your database directly from your command line using Laravel Tinker without installing a database client.

MVC Architecture

The MVC architecture of Laravel generates a language that is relatable and flexible because it follows an extensive web development design with current symbolic improvements. Laravel will push you to learn and understand the MVC architecture that is used in all other frameworks like AdonisJS from JavaScript and ASP.NET MVC from C#.

Automatic Pagination

If you’ve continually tackled pagination in your Laravel web applications then, you’ll realize the value of having your pagination solved by a built-in framework. Laravel application clarifies the pagination hassle by creating automatic pagination that brings right out of the box. This feature is one of its highest recognized ones, and it excludes the work involved in solving the pagination problem yourself.

Security

It is very important to analyze the security limit of any Laravel web application that you’re considering using, as an absence of due diligence can result in a reduction of funds or even hacking of your website or web applications. Laravel shows up with many security measures due to its attachment to the OWASP security principles. From cross-site request forgery (CSRF) to SQL injection, Laravel has a built-in solution for it all.

Laravel 9 Support policy

Laravel 9 provides long-term support, like Laravel 6. It will provide the longest maintenance and support guidance, you’ll get two years of support to mend bugs, which is able to remain until February 2024. For Security support, it’ll be for 3 years which is able to last till 2025.

Why you should upgrade your existing Laravel web application to Laravel 9

The latest Laravel version has brought in several essential updates that are useful for Web applications that are built in Laravel and for future Laravel development. In the new update of Laravel frameworks, you will see some of the usual highlights such as Fixed bugs, optimized performance, and enhanced security. Similarly, Laravel 9 comes with a pack of the latest & exciting features. Its creators affirm that it might also promote the pre-available Laravel features to assist a business to build applications faster.

Reasons to upgrade from Laravel 8 to Laravel 9

Let us look into the key reasons why should you upgrade your Laravel web application from Laravel 8 to Laravel 9:

1. Symfony Mailer

Laravel contributes a clean, simple email API powered by the popular Symfony Mailer basic fundamental component. Laravel and Symfony Mailer present drivers for sending email through SMTP, Mailgun, Postmark, Amazon SES, and Sendmail, allowing you to instantly get started sending mail through a local or cloud-based service.

One of the biggest changes made in Laravel’s latest version is the Symfony mailer. SwiftMailer has not been updated after November 2021 and also it does not exist after December 2021. Symfony Mailer restores SwiftMailer as the internal mail library. This will bring more consistency to your application.

To reach full compatibility of your application, analyze the following changes:

• Different types of undocumented SwiftMailer documents are renamed to their Symfony Mailer counterparts.
• Symfony Mailer will automatically build Message-ID based on the sender instead of using the mime.idgenerator.idright configuration option.
• Transport reconnections will not be compelled. Symfony Mailer will automatically try to reconnect.
• Symfony Mailer will require you to explain the applicable options directly within the configuration if they are supported.
• Codes conditional on missing methods replaced by SwiftMailer in the Laravel version 8 should now be updated with their comparable Symfony Mailer counterparts.

2. Enhanced Mutators/Accessors

Accessors and mutators permit you to configure Eloquent attributes when fetching them from a model or fixing their value. For example, you want to use the Laravel encrypter to encrypt data while it is stored in the database, and then automatically decrypt the attribute when you access it on an Eloquent model.

In Laravel 9 applications, you can now use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Casts\\Attribute to describe accessors and mutators. This is a method to maintain a model prefix. You will now get and fix attributes using this method, in addition, determining assessors will cache object values like in custom cast classes.

3. Controller route groups

The controller method is used to create a common controller for every route in the group. This will make it easier to read and understand the route definitions.

4. Flysystem 3

When you upgrade Laravel version 9. x it also upgrades Flysystem 1. x to 3. x. this may make Laravel development processes easier and faster. Take a glance at the modifications listed below:

Now, once you write operations, the files that exist already are going to be replaced.

If the write operation fails, it’ll now not trigger an exception.

Since cached adapters aren’t any longer supported, the cache key might be aloof from the disk configuration.

5. Scout database engine

Laravel Scout may be a driver-based solution that enables you to search through your Eloquent models. This accustomed requires services like Algolia or MeiliSearch, but now you’ll eff yourself if you’re using MySQL or PostgreSQL. With Laravel Scout, you’ll be able to use the model’s toArray() method to look at the database. This new search method doesn’t require traditional indexing as you needed with Algolia.

6. Blade string rendering

Laravel 9 now provides the ability to render a blade string into its HTML equivalent. The render method validates the blade template string and also an optional data array to be used by the template.

The render component approach may be thanks to rendering a selected class component without invoking the component instance in addition to those, the foremost recent version of Laravel has introduced checked and selected blade components for figuring out in an exceedingly specific situation.

7. Where clauses / Full-text indexes

This is one of the foremost significant changes during this version. While using MySQL or PostgreSQL, full-text indexes are now accessible with Laravel 9. By means of Laravel 9, the whereFullText() method becomes a string within the appropriate SQL for the underlying.

8. Implicit route bindings with enums

PHP 8.1 first supported Enums. In Laravel 9. x, you’ll be able to type-hint an Enum on your route definition. The framework will only invoke the route if it’s a sound Enum value within the URI. The HTTP 404 response will return automatically, if it’s not.

9. New helper functions

Still, the chance of this new feature is low, it makes basic work much easier. Laravel 9. x now includes a worldwide str helper function, this suggests you’ll use the function rather than using the confusing string helper function that PHP provided.

In the earlier discharge of Laravel, if you used a closure method, the method would always be true. In Laravel 9. x, the worth returned by the closure is considered a boolean value when passing through when and unless methods.

10. Bootstrap 5 pagination views

Laravel 9 has upgraded to Bootstrap 5 pagination. The old way of getting tailwind views isn’t any longer necessary, you’ll be able to now use the useBootstrapFive method for pagination.

Conclusion

The Creators of Laravel 9 tried to bring in the most effective solution to their developers and end users, and for that, they always attempt to come up with new updated versions each year. Anyhow, Laravel 9 took two years to introduce. This re-creation has Laravel 9 new features that may facilitate you to develop web applications easily. If you’re trying to find assistance to upgrade your web application from Laravel 8 to Laravel 9, then get in touch with us to Hire a Laravel developer and leverage our top-of-the-line Laravel app development services.

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