Laravel Course for Students: 5 Compelling Reasons to Enroll Today
Laravel is a web application framework that has expressive and elegant syntax. The main aim of Laravel is to make the job of web developers easy by simplifying common tasks such as routing, authentication, sessions, and catching. With the advancement of technology, over the past few years, Laravel has gained immense popularity, especially in developing unique web applications. With the help of the best Laravel course, students can learn about the various Hypertext Pre-Processor (PHP) features that help build a robust web application. One of the major benefits of taking courses and earning certifications will help them to enhance their Laravel skills while opening up to new career opportunities.
The blog will review and recommend the best Laravel certification course available.
Now before going deep, let us first try and break down Laravel and Hypertext Pre-Processor (PHP) and Laravel separately.
Understanding Laravel
Laravel is a web application framework that is written in PHP which is more secure, advanced, and easy. The best part about the Laravel framework is that it is free and open source. The various applications that are developed in Laravel tend to follow a model-view-controller (MVC) platform. Laravel source code is hosted on GitHub. With the help of this source code, developers can run the Laravel framework even on a Linux server. For better understanding, all aspiring web developers should opt for the best Laravel course.
In today’s digital age, Laveral can be considered a popular choice, especially for web developers. The developers can take advantage of eloquent object-rational mapping (ORM). ORM systems can be used to work more efficiently with a variety of databases with the help of Active Record implementation. With the help of eloquent ORM, a developer can also interact with the database directly through a specific model of individual database tables. In addition, it is also easy to achieve a common database task such as inserting new records and running database queries with Laravel.
According to recent data, Laravel has a usage of 7.58% among the most used frameworks all around the world making it one of the most preferred choices among PHP development companies.
What is PHP?
Hypertext Pre-Processor (PHP) can be considered an open-source general-purpose scripting language that is majorly used for web development. PHP is a popular programming language that is used along with HyperText Markup Language (HTML) codes.
In most web scripts such as Perl and C, loads of commands are used. However, Hypertext Pre-Processor (PHP) uses HyperText Markup Language (HTML) with embedded codes. PHP is usually executed on the server and it tends to generate HTML straight to the client. The client would tend to receive the results but they would never know what the underlying code was. The code tends to be hidden in the final output.
One of the best things about PHP is that it is extremely simple, and it comes with various advanced features that are helpful for a professional programmer. Although the development of a website with PHP tends to be more focused on server-side scripting, he or she can do much more.
Having a basic knowledge of PHP can help those interested in learning Laravel more quickly and develop stronger applications. Hence it is advisable to avail yourself of the best PHP and Laravel courses for better understanding.
As a student, a question might now come to your mind “Can I learn Laravel without PHP?”
It should be noted that Laravel is a substitute for PHP. It is a framework that tends to offer a basic structure and features for the development of a web application in PHP. A web developer would not be able to learn the Laravel framework or make effective use of the same without having a decent knowledge of PHP.
Top features of Laravel
The PHP Laravel framework tends to have some unique features that make it the best PHP MVC. They are as follows-
- Template engine
The Laravel framework is mainly used for its lightweight and inbuilt templates. A web developer can create innovative layouts along with dynamic content with the help of the Laravel framework. In addition, Laravel also tends to have multiple widgets that are incorporated along with CSS and JS code.
- Artisan
Artisan is an inbuilt command line interface that is present within the Laravel framework. Artisan tends to script and provides many helpful commands that can assist a web developer while building an application.
- Eloquent Object-Relational Mapping (ORM)
An eloquent is an object-relational mapper (ORM) that is present within the Laravel framework by default. An object-relational mapper (ORM) is software that helps to handle database records by representing data as objects, working as a layer of abstraction on top of the database engine used to store an application’s data. In addition, object-relational mapper (ORM) is also a bit faster than the first PHP frameworks.
- Modular libraries
PHP tends to have vast Object-Oriented libraries along with other pre-installed libraries. An authentication library can be considered one of the best pre-installed, easy-to-implement libraries that are enabled with many new features such as:
- Checking active users
- Password reset
- Bcrypt hashing
- Encryption
- CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) protection
- Higher protection for application
One of the prominent characteristics of Laravel is its security feature. Laravel framework tends to provide a high level of sophisticated and effective protection for various online applications which in turn helps the web developers. Laravel employs a hashed and salted password technique to prevent the passwords from being stored in plain text in the user database. The “Bcrypt Hashing Algorithm” is used for encrypting a password.
In addition, the Laravel framework also uses structured query language (SQL) statements that tend to protect against SQL injection attacks. To know more, all aspiring web developers should apply for the best Laravel course.
- Web application cache
Caching is an important aspect of making an online application successful. The Redis and Memcached cache backends are included in the Laravel framework and may be used immediately as and when required. The file tends to facilitate drive caching and file-based storage of cached data.
- Migration system
The migration technique of the Laravel framework allows the web app’s data structure to grow organically instead of recreating the database every time a developer makes a change. As a result, the chances of data loss have been reduced to a greater extent. Furthermore, it tends to facilitate the use of PHP code to make similar alterations to the database’s structure while facilitating SQL migrations. The Schema Builder feature of the Laravel framework also helps to speed up the making of new database tables and adding new fields along with indices.
Benefits of using the Laravel framework
Learning about Laravel design patterns and best practices is very useful for a web developer.
This is because the Laravel framework tends to provide various benefits during web development such as:
- Security is the key
Security can be considered as one of the main concerns for most companies. With the help of the Laravel framework, web developers can easily set up advanced security features on any website to improve security and protect the site from external threats such as hackers. Laravel tends to use the Bcrypt hashing algorithm, and as a result, it never stores passwords in the database.
Furthermore, with the help of the Laravel framework, web developers can solve important security issues such as query spoofing, cross-site scripting, and structured query language (SQL) injection. Since it is a secure framework, Laravel tends to protect codes and help fix various security loopholes and technical issues even before the deployment of the website.
It should also be kept in mind that in comparison to other PHP frameworks, Laraval also tends to provide great user authentication features and the restricted access feature can be created easily. This in turn helps to keep all the data safe and secure.
- Better website performance
Laravel, unlike various other frameworks, supports the caching of a website, which is very useful for boosting the speed of the site. In addition, to increase the performance of a website, Laravel also provides many other website speed-optimizing techniques such as database indexing and memory use reduction that are very easy to implement. As a result, the Laravel framework becomes an excellent choice, especially for business organizations that are looking for SEO-friendly fast websites. Students can learn the Laravel framework for better job opportunities.
- Useful for traffic handling
The volume of traffic on a website tends to increase with the growth and expansion of a business organization. Websites that are built in the Laravel framework can handle website requests much faster than any other framework. Laravel uses a unique message queue system, due to which the users can put off certain website tasks such as sending emails until a later time. Since time-consuming tasks are being controlled, the website can now process other tasks quickly. This not only keeps the website server healthy but also tends to lower the hosting cost in the long run.
- Easy integration of third-party applications
The majority of e-commerce websites require third-party applications such as payment systems like PayPal and Stripe or any other marketing tools that a company might need. Due to the availability of clean application programming interfaces (APIs) in the Laravel framework, web developers can make third-party integration easily.
- Extremely flexible
Web developers can create a fully-fledged e-commerce website or a simple and professional B2B website with the help of the Laravel framework. With the availability of extensive pre-installed libraries, he or she can include and maintain a wide variety of advanced features for the website at a minimal cost.
Benefits of Taking Laravel Courses and Certifications
According to a recent report in the Economic Times, enrollment in various web development training courses has increased by 230% from 2017 to 2021. This data is expected to show an exponential increase of 3.4 times by the year 2025 as more and more aspiring students are showing interest in mastering web development skills such as HTML, PHP, CSS, MySQL, React, and Java.
There are various reasons why a student should learn PHP and Laravel-
- Ever evolving
In today’s fast-paced digital age, Laravel can be considered a reliable open-source PHP framework for the development of web applications that are based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern. The straightforward and expressive syntax of the Laravel framework helps to speed up the website development process, making it one of the most sorted frameworks for website development by business organizations. This in turn also signifies that the demand for Laravel developers is on the rise. Aspiring candidates can stay ahead of their competitors and gain the necessary skillset by opting for a good short-term Laravel training course.
- Lots of unique features
The Laravel framework is packed with a ton of unique features and advantages due to which it stands out from other Hypertext Pre-Processor frameworks. The official packages have many management tools and platforms, developer environments, monitoring and testing tools, an administration panel, and much more. To have a better understanding of all these tools and features, all budding developers should opt for the best short-term Laravel course.
- Better business opportunities
In today’s competitive age, there is a rise in demand for Laravel developers all over the world across various industries be it from startups to large enterprises. It is because the Laravel framework is a very versatile framework that can be used for various web development projects. As a result, different job roles might require the expertise of the Laravel framework. There is a rise in demand for Laravel developers who have mastered the framework. Some of the most popular job roles for a Laravel developer may include software engineer, web developer, PHP developer, and full stack developer. Interested students can apply for the latest short-term Laravel courses and take their careers to the next level.
- Availability of resources to learn Laravel
It is easy to learn about the Laravel framework due to the availability of a huge amount of resources online. There are many Laravel complete courses, videos, and tutorials that are available online that can help developers to get started. In addition, there are many online communities and forums where they can ask questions and get help from others as and when required.
- Establishing professional credibility
Many business organizations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies tend to hire only those candidates who have completed certification courses from a recognized education institution.
Doing a PHP Laravel certification course boosts credibility and shows the professionalism and commitment of a web developer. This in turn helps to give the required boost to their career.
Also read: Building your career with the best short-term courses after 12th standard or graduation.
Criteria for Selecting the Best Laravel Courses and Certifications
Choosing the perfect PHP and Laravel course, especially for beginners is very important. It helps to lay the right foundation for the education journey that he or she is going to embark upon.
Some of the useful tips that might help a student select the right Laravel course are given below-
- Keeping in mind the requirements and goals
Every course is designed for a different set of audience groups. Some courses are of the advanced level, specially designed for professionals who already have years of experience in that particular field and want to upskill. Some courses are designed for beginners where things are explained in a more detailed and elaborate manner. So, it is always advisable for a student to first understand what he or she wants before deciding upon a Laravel developer course.
Students should first decide whether they prefer a classroom environment which is great for beginners or they prefer learning things at their own pace online which is ideal for working professionals. Understanding the goal will help to narrow down the preferences and search for a course.
- Practical hands-on experience
It is vital to have good practical exposure for a better understanding of a subject. However, the course curriculum of a lot of education institutions does not focus on practical hands-on experience. Without practical knowledge, students could not develop proper insights into the subjects.
Students should opt for that Laravel course where they can work on real-world projects. These projects would also help them to gain important skill sets that act as valuable assets during job interviews.
- Check the syllabus
One of the best ways to ensure that a web developer course tends to offer practical hands-on exposure is by assessing the course curriculum. A proper PHP and Laravel course should have a comprehensive up-to-date curriculum covering the latest tools and techniques. This in turn would help to boost the practical skills of a student.
- Reviews and testimonials
A student or working professional will spend a considerable amount of time, energy, and money on a Laravel course. So they will choose the best possible course by checking the online reviews and feedback from previous students or alumni.
Online reviews and feedback tend to provide insight into the course’s strengths, weaknesses, and overall satisfaction. Students get an idea of the quality of the teachers and the relevance of the course curriculum.
How to learn Laravel step by step?
Now, after a fair understanding of Laravel and its various features and benefits, let us talk about how to learn the Laravel framework step by step.
Step 1: Being well versed in HTML, Core PHP, and Advanced PHP language
All coding in the Laravel framework is done using PHP language. A web developer needs to have knowledge of coding in PHP to work on Laravel. He or she also needs to learn basic concepts in HTML because PHP is often used with HTML.
Step 2: Learn about MVC and how it works
It is important to understand why MVC is important. Having a fair knowledge of MVC is vital to mastering Laravel because a web developer has to structure the codes according to model, view, and controller functions to build a website in Laravel. It is always advisable to learn MVC because the MVC framework is a useful programming concept that will also help to improve coding outside of the Laravel framework.
Step 3: Understand the fundamentals of Laravel
After learning about the building blocks that are essential to work in Laravel, students should avail of the best short-term Laravel course to learn the fundamentals of the Laravel framework.
Step 4: Create a project
Now, after getting a firm understanding of the Laravel concept, budding developers should practice whatever they have learned by building a new project with the help of the Laravel framework.
Wrapping up
Laravel can be considered the top web development framework that helps to make the process of creating compelling websites better and faster. It is an efficient and effective tool that is driving today’s digital transformation. It does not matter whether you are a fresh graduate who is waiting to make a mark in the field of web development or an experienced professional who is looking forward to upgrading their skill set. So, if you are interested in upgrading your Laravel skillset, it’s time to enroll in the best Laravel professional courses. Get started today!
Also Read: Web Development Courses: Unlocking a World of Opportunities and Creativity
