Introduction to Laravel and MVC

1. What is Laravel?

Laravel is an open-source PHP web application framework with an expressive, elegant syntax. It was created by Taylor Otwell in 2011 and is designed for building robust, modern web applications quickly and efficiently.

2. The Model-View-Controller (MVC) Pattern

Laravel strictly follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern, which is a design approach that separates an application into three interconnected parts. This separation helps manage complexity, promotes code reuse, and makes the application easier to maintain and scale.

3. Laravel’s Request Lifecycle (How MVC Works)

Understanding the MVC flow requires tracing a user’s request through the Laravel application, which happens in a sequence known as the Request Lifecycle:

1. Request Initiation: A user sends an HTTP request (e.g., typing a URL) to the application.
2. Routing: Laravel’s Router checks the routes file (web.php or api.php) to determine which action should handle the request.
3. Middleware: The request passes through Middleware, a layer of filters (e.g., checking if the user is authenticated, handling CSRF token verification).
4. Controller Action: The request is delegated to a specific method (action) on a Controller.
5. Model Interaction: The Controller calls the Model (using Eloquent ORM) to fetch, save, or update data in the database.
6. View Rendering: The Controller takes the data from the Model and passes it to the appropriate View (using Blade).
7. Response: The View generates the final HTML output, which is then sent back to the user’s browser as the HTTP response.

<?php
    return 'Hello World';
});