Laravel HTTP Request, Methods and Input

Laravel HTTP(HyperText Transfer Protocol) request method is the way to structure the request and response to set the communication of Client and server or its a protocol to transfer the data over the web. Http follow the server-client Model. In Laravel HTTP request get processed through routes/web.php by default.

We can access the Http Request by declearing the Illuminate\Http\Request in Controller.

public function personalData(Request $request)
    {
        $name = $request->input('name'); 

    }

HTTP Request Path and Methods

Illuminate\Http\Request instance provides various method to access the Http request and its parameter which is trying to access the application.

path() method will return the information about the url path. For example: Our URL is https://www.abcd.com/my-profile/umesh, if we use path() method to get the request it will return /my-profile/umesh. 

For Example : 

$uriPath = $request->path();

We can fetch the entire url itself using url() method  and fullurl() method. ce url method will return the url without string whereas fullurl method will return with string. Below is the code for your reference.

$urlWthtString = $request->url();  // return url without String

$urlWthString = $request->fullUrl(); // return url with String

Fetching the Request Method

We can fetch the HTTP request type using method() function as well as we can check whether the requested method is satisfying the type using ismethod() function . 

$methodType = $request->method();

// This Will give you the request method type whether it is post, get etc..

if ($request->isMethod('post')) {
    //

}

Laravel Retrieving Input From HTTP Request 

We can retrieve all the input data as a array which is coming through the HTTP Request using all() method.

$inputData = $request->all();

Illuminate\Http\Request instance We can get the request data using input method. we can pass the second argument in input method. If input method don't have the value it will take second argument as default value. See the code below for reference.

$firstName = $request->input('firstName');
$firstName = $request->input('firstName', 'Umesh');

   

We can use input() method without having any argument to get the input value as a associative array.

$input = $request->input();  // this return the input as a associative array.

Checking Input Value is Present or not

⇛ We can check whether the input value is there or not, we use has() method. has() method will return the value as true or false.

if ($request->has('firstName')){
   // $request->has('firstName') will return the value as true or false.   

}

⇛ has() method will check the array input also. check the code below for reference.

if ($request->has(['firstName', 'emailId'])){
    // If both array input will be there, It will return true or false.

}

⇛ hasAny() method will check if any input will be there it will return true. Below is the code for your reference.

if ($request->hasAny(['firstName', 'emailId'])){
    // if any Input will be there it will return true

}

Redirecting and Flashing the input

If the validation fails we need to redirect to the same page with the input. Flashing the input with redirect on the page we use withInput() method. Below is the code for your reference.

return redirect('personal-form/save')->withInput();

return redirect('personal-form/save')->withInput($request->except('userpass'));

Handling File Upload using HTTP Request

Sometime we need to access the uploaded file using HTTP request using file() method. The Illuminate\Http\UploadedFile class have file() method which returns an instance. We can check using hasFile() method that HTTP request have the file or not. Below is the code for your reference.

$fileImage = $request->file('candidate_photo');

$fileImage = $request->candidate_photo;

if ($request->hasFile('candidate_photo')){
    //
}

Uploaded File Path and Extension 

UploadFile class provide some predefined method through which we can access the file path and its Extension.

$Photopath = $request->candidate_photo->path();

$photoextension = $request->candidate_photo->extension();

Laravel Routing and Named Route with Example

Concept of Laravel Routing, Resource and list

Laravel Routes are defined in web.php file which is called by default and resides in routes directory. URL prefix is applied directly and automatically in laravel, you don't have to apply the prefix to each route individually. Router methods list are available like get, post, put, patch, delete, any. 

Any form request which point to Route method like post, put, patch, delete you must have to include the csrf token field.

Basic Route Example :

Route::get('/', function () {
    return 'Welcome to Laravel Basic Routing.';
});

Route::get('/user-profile', 'ProfileController@showProfile');

Redirecting Route to another Route in Laravel

Laravel provide redirect route to another route facility. if you want to redirect the one route to another route. Route redirect return 302 status by default, we can customize the status code using third parameter. See the below code for above two statement.

Route::redirect(' /one-route ', '/other-route');

Route::redirect(' /one-route ', '/other-route', 301);

View Route in Laravel

Route::View method is one useful method in laravel which we can use if we want to show the view only. This provide the shortcut way to redirect the route to view without defining all the route and controller. 

Route::view method accepts three parameter, one is URL string, second argument is view name and third argument is some additional parameter as a array. Below is the code for reference.

Route::view('/my-profile', 'user-profile');
Route::view('/my-profile', 'user-profile', ['name' => 'Umesh']);

Laravel Named Route

Named Route is a friendly name given to the route the reference. We can use Named rout to specify the particular Route as well as to generate the URL / to redirect to specific URL.

Route::post('profile-data/save', 'ProfileController@saveProfile')

->name('profileData');

You must keep the route name always unique. Generating / Redirecting Url for Names Route is below for your reference.

$url = route('profile');

return redirect()->route('profile');

With Name Route we can pass the second or third parameter as a argument.

Route::post('profile-data/{id}', 'ProfileController@updateProfile')

->name('profileData');

To pass the parameter as argument in the named Route code is below for your reference.

$url = route('profile', ['id'=>1 ]);

If we pass the additional parameter in the array, that will be automatically added in the URL generated query String. Below is the example for reference.

$url = route('profile-data/{id}', ['id' => 1, 'rollno' => '1004']);

URL String generated is below /1/profile?rollno=1004

Laravel Route Prefix Defination

Laravel prefix method can add the prefix to the group of route with given URL. Simple example is most of the web application have the admin section. Now as a developer I want to add admin as a prefix to all the route which point to admin pages. Below is the code for your reference.

Route::prefix('admin')->group(function () {
   
        // You have to define all your route here.
    
});

Apply Middleware on Route

We can assign the middleware to the group of route in the routes Directory. As we know that Middleware act as the middle man between the HTTP request and Application,  it filter and restrict the unwanted HTTP request to access the application. Below is the code for reference.

Route::middleware(['AdminMiddleware', 'AuthMiddleware'])->group(function () {
    
 // Specify All the route in this group.
 
});

Laravel Fallback Route

Route::fallback method is another feature of  Laravel Routing in which we handle the HTTP request which do not match with our route list. By default laravel render the 404 not found page using exception handler. Now laravel fallback method you can define and redirect to the view which will get execute if not HTTP request matches.

You must always define the Route::fallback method at the last of route file. Below is the code for your reference.

Route::fallback(function() {
    return 'You have landed on wrong url. ';
});

Current Route Access  

We can Access the current route which is handling the HTTP request  using current,  currentRouteName and currentRouteAction methods. Below is the code example for your reference.

$currentRoute = Route::current();
$routeName = Route::currentRouteName();
$routeAction = Route::currentRouteAction();