Laravel PHP Framework Cheat Sheet

Back to Backend DevelopmentUpdated 2026-05-16

Laravel is a free, open-source PHP web application framework following the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architectural pattern. Created by Taylor Otwell in 2011, Laravel has become the most popular PHP framework, powering millions of applications from startups to enterprises. Built with developer happiness in mind, Laravel provides an elegant syntax, powerful tools, and a rich ecosystem that makes building modern web applications intuitive and enjoyable. Its comprehensive feature set includes Eloquent ORM for database interactions, Blade templating for views, Artisan CLI for automation, built-in authentication scaffolding, queue systems, event broadcasting, and seamless deployment options like Forge and Vapor—all designed to accelerate development without sacrificing code quality or maintainability.

What This Cheat Sheet Covers

This topic spans 25 focused tables and 246 indexed concepts. Below is a complete table-by-table outline of this topic, spanning foundational concepts through advanced details.

Table 1: Core Framework ConceptsTable 2: Routing FundamentalsTable 3: Eloquent ORM FundamentalsTable 4: Eloquent RelationshipsTable 5: Blade Templating EngineTable 6: Artisan CLI CommandsTable 7: Database MigrationsTable 8: Validation RulesTable 9: Form RequestsTable 10: MiddlewareTable 11: AuthenticationTable 12: Authorization with Policies & GatesTable 13: Queues & JobsTable 14: Task SchedulingTable 15: API Resources & TransformersTable 16: Testing with PHPUnit & PestTable 17: Security FeaturesTable 18: Caching StrategiesTable 19: Collections MethodsTable 20: Notifications SystemTable 21: Event Broadcasting & Real-timeTable 22: Laravel Horizon, Telescope & PulseTable 23: Laravel Vite & Asset BundlingTable 24: Laravel Livewire & InertiaTable 25: Deployment Tools

Table 1: Core Framework Concepts

Concept	Example	Description
MVC Architecture	`app/Models/User.php` `app/Controllers/UserController.php` `resources/views/users/index.blade.php`	Laravel follows Model-View-Controller pattern separating business logic, presentation, and routing for maintainable code.
Service Container	`app()->bind(PaymentGateway::class, StripeGateway::class);` `$gateway = app(PaymentGateway::class);`	Dependency injection container that manages class dependencies and performs automatic resolution throughout the framework.
Service Providers	`class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider` `{` `public function register() { }` `}`	• Bootstrap application services by registering bindings in the container • all Laravel features use service providers
Facades	`Cache::put('key', 'value', 600);` `DB::table('users')->get();`	• Provide static-like interface to classes in the service container • improve testability while maintaining clean syntax
Contracts	`use Illuminate\Contracts\Cache\Repository;` `function __construct(Repository $cache)`	• Interfaces defining core services • allow loose coupling and easy swapping of implementations without changing application code

Table 1: Core Framework Concepts

Concept	Example	Description
MVC Architecture	`app/Models/User.php` `app/Controllers/UserController.php` `resources/views/users/index.blade.php`	Laravel follows Model-View-Controller pattern separating business logic, presentation, and routing for maintainable code.
Service Container	`app()->bind(PaymentGateway::class, StripeGateway::class);` `$gateway = app(PaymentGateway::class);`	Dependency injection container that manages class dependencies and performs automatic resolution throughout the framework.
Service Providers	`class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider` `{` `public function register() { }` `}`	• Bootstrap application services by registering bindings in the container • all Laravel features use service providers
Facades	`Cache::put('key', 'value', 600);` `DB::table('users')->get();`	• Provide static-like interface to classes in the service container • improve testability while maintaining clean syntax
Contracts	`use Illuminate\Contracts\Cache\Repository;` `function __construct(Repository $cache)`	• Interfaces defining core services • allow loose coupling and easy swapping of implementations without changing application code