The maestro of general-purpose scripting language PHP is known for its staggering offerings. Laravel, one of its most popular open-source frameworks, is a prime example of its excellence. Since its inception, it has been the front-lie choice for many developers and enterprises to build flexible and unified web and web apps in various niches. One more thing that separates Laravel from competitors is its regular updates.
The immense success of its 10th edition “Laravel 10” didn’t let the community chill and relax. They came with another version within a year. It shows their dedication and futuristic approach towards the digital community.
Anyway, the good news here is that Laravel 11 is here. It was released yesterday (12th Feb 2024) and is ready to rock and roll; it has been trending for the past month. So, let’s see what the latest version of Laravel has to offer and how compatible it is for enterprises and developers.
Table of Contents
Laravel 11 Latest Additions/Updates
The latest version boasts new features and benefits that can enhance development, making it a prime reason for businesses to upgrade.
PHP 8.1 Support No Longer Available
We now have stable PHP 8.2 and 8.3 versions, so Laravel 11 no longer supports PHP 8.1. However, upgrading to the latest version immediately is optional. You can update your application gradually as needed.
Kernel Consol No Longer Available
The dedicated Console Kernel file has been removed in Laravel 11. Instead, developers can define console commands in the routes/console.php file, where they can store all Artisan commands to help ease the management of console commands during development.
Streamlined App Structure Added
Laravel 11 has a more efficient application structure for new users that doesn’t require modifications to existing applications. The updated structure aims to give a modern and leaner experience while keeping the fundamental concepts that Laravel developers are already familiar with.
- Application Bootstrap File – Your application’s high-level behavior settings are now consolidated in a single bootstrap/app.php file. This allows you to customize your app’s middleware, exceptional handling, service providers, etc.
- Service Providers – Earlier versions of Laravel had five service providers, but Laravel 11 combines all functionalities into a single AppServiceProvider.
- Configuration Files – Your configuration files are now managed via the .env file, as no default configuration files are in your config directory.
Middleware
In previous versions of Laravel, whenever a new application was created, nine middleware was bundled with it. These middleware had different roles, such as authenticating requests, trimming input strings, and validating CSRF tokens.
However, in Laravel 11, these middleware have been moved into the framework to reduce the bulk of your application’s structure. The framework now allows for new ways of customizing the behavior of this middleware, which can be invoked from your application’s bootstrap/app.php file.
Opt-In API and Broadcasting Routing
By default, api.php and channels.php route files are unavailable. However, you can add them using Artisan commands to simplify your coding process and create a more modular and customizable app structure.
Scheduling
Eliminate the need for a separate Kernel class by defining scheduled tasks directly in the routes/console.php file.
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schedule;
Schedule::command(‘emails:send‘)->daily();
Per-Second Rate Limiting
Laravel now supports per-second rate limiting for both queued jobs and HTTP requests, as opposed to the previous per-minute rate limiting.
RateLimiter::for(‘invoices‘, function (Request $request) {
return Limit::perSecond(1);
});
App Defaults
New Laravel applications utilize SQLite for various purposes, such as database storage, session management, cache, and queue management. This eliminates the need for software installation and database migrations, allowing developers to start their projects quickly.
Graceful Encryption Key Rotation
Taylor Otwell contributed to the graceful encryption key rotation.
Laravel encrypts all cookies, including the session cookie of your application. As a result, every request made to a Laravel application depends on encryption. However, rotating your application’s encryption key would log all users out of your application. This is because decrypting data encrypted by the previous key becomes impossible.
Laravel 11 lets you specify your previous encryption keys as a comma-separated list using the APP_PREVIOUS_KEYS environment variable.
Laravel utilizes the encryption key currently set in the APP_KEY environment variable when encrypting data. On the other hand, Laravel first attempts to decrypt data using the current encryption key. If decryption using the current key fails, Laravel will try all the previous keys until it finds the one that can successfully decrypt the data.
Extended benefits of Laravel 11!
As every update brings exciting new features, upgrading to the latest version becomes lucrative for businesses. Here, let’s check what potential benefits the latest Laravel upholds for its users upgrading to Laravel 11.
- Laravel 11 claimed to enhance web app performance with improved caching, fast routing, optimized DB queries, and increased speed.
- Software development can be executed more quickly and easily by incorporating detailed documentation, advanced debugging tools, and error-handling capabilities.
- The Blade templating engine in Laravel 11 now offers more flexibility for creating reusable views in your web application.
- Laravel 11 is backward compatible, making it easy for enterprises and business owners to upgrade to the latest version.
- Laravel 11 introduces Several new features and functionalities, including streamlined API development and improved authentication.
Steps to Install Laravel 11
You can configure Laravel’s installation by downloading and installing only the master branch of the “laravel/laravel” repository by using the “-dev” flag.
laravel new hello-world –dev
Composer is the ideal choice if you prefer a more hands-on approach to installation.
composer create-project –prefer-dist laravel/laravel hello-world dev-master
Final Words
Laravel 11’s features and latest updates focus on efficiency, security, and convenience, consolidating its position as a leading PHP framework for modern web development. If you’re looking to upgrade to Laravel 11 and create your application using the latest version of Laravel, you can Hire Laravel Developers from our company at your convenience.
We are a reputable Laravel Development Company with an agile and dedicated team that can seamlessly assist you with your website’s design, development, testing, and deployment. Contact us today!
