Introduction to Laravel
Laravel is one of the most popular PHP frameworks used for developing websites. This framework is designed to facilitate the development process for programmers and provides a structured and understandable architecture. Laravel offers various functionalities specifically intended for managing and structuring the different components of applications, with its directory structure being one of the most significant aspects.
Each Laravel application starts with a root directory that includes several folders and files, each of which plays a specific role in the application. Correct identification of these directories and understanding each of them can help developers manage their applications better and apply necessary changes as required.
Core Directories in Laravel Directory Structure
The core directory structure of Laravel consists of several folders, each having its own specific purpose and functionality. Proper understanding of each folder’s tasks can assist you in achieving better management and performance on your application. In the following, we will explain each of these directories.
app/: This folder contains codes related to the main application, such as models, controllers, and services. Usually, most changes made in the application occur here.
bootstrap/: This folder contains files for configuring and bootstrapping the application. The main file here is app.php, which is used during the initial application bootstrapping.
config/: Configuration settings for the application are stored here as separate files, providing different configurations for various components of the application.
database/: This folder contains migration files, models for the primary database, and features related to database management stored here.
root
└── app
└── bootstrap
└── app.php
└── config
└── database
└── migrations
└── seeds
└── public
└── resources
└── routes
└── web.php
└── storage
└── tests
└── vendor
Explanation of Directory Structure
root: This directory is the main application’s root directory.
└── app: This holds the main source code of the application, including models and controllers.
└── bootstrap: This includes files necessary for initializing the application.
└── app.php: The primary configuration file for initializing the application.
└── config: A directory for various configuration settings of the application stored in separate files.
└── database: Responsible for storing migration files and others related to the database.
└── migrations: Contains the migration files for creating and altering database tables.
└── seeds: Contains files that insert testing data into the database.
└── public: The main directory for public access files such as CSS and JavaScript.
└── resources: Includes resources such as views and assets.
└── routes: Contains files related to defining application routes.
└── web.php: The main file that defines web routes used by the application.
└── storage: A folder for storing files that require storage and caching.
└── tests: A local folder for maintaining application tests.
└── vendor: Contains all libraries and dependencies installed via Composer.