Using React.js in a Laravel Application

Have you ever wondered, “Should I Learn Laravel or React.js?”, “Is using React in a Laravel application a good decision?” If yes, “How to integrate React with Laravel?” Has any of these questions ever crossed your mind? 

Yes! They’re all good questions but let’s take it one step at a time. In this tutorial, we will take you through the basics of Laravel, React, and whether React Native and Laravel for future mobile development can work wonders.

So let’s get started. 

Laravel vs reactjs

When it comes to web development, Laravel and ReactJS are two popular choices. Laravel is a backend framework for building scalable and secure web applications, while ReactJS is a front-end JavaScript library for building user interfaces. While both have their strengths and weaknesses, the choice between Laravel vs ReactJS ultimately depends on the specific needs of your project. Laravel is ideal for projects that require heavy backend processing and database management, while ReactJS is great for creating complex user interfaces and real-time updates. However, the two can also work together seamlessly for mobile app development, with Laravel serving as the backend API and React Native as the front-end framework.
 

What is Laravel?

If you are artistically inclined, Laravel suits your tastes just right. Laravel is a free, open-source PHP web framework, created by Taylor Otwell. It is intended for the development of web applications following the model–view–controller architectural pattern and is based on Symfony. 

• It’s all about clean code, wonderful functionality, simple, and elegant syntax that makes it very easy to use. 
• All features are carefully considered and offered to developers so that you obtain an effortless and beautiful developer experience. 

What is React.js?

If you are looking to create interactive AIs, React.js is your best bet! React is an open-source JavaScript library for developing user interfaces efficiently. It is managed by Facebook and a community of individual developers and organizations. React provides a base in app development for single-page or mobile applications.

Fresh project setup

If we want to build a React application with Laravel and are using React in a Laravel application, then the first and most obvious thing to do is to know how to install React in Laravel. We will utilize the Laravel/UI package to install React in Laravel with Bootstrap 4.

Install Laravel Project

To know how to integrate Laravel with React and install React in Laravel, we first need to install a brand new Laravel project.

composer create-project laravel/laravel --prefer-dist laravel-react-js

Get into the Laravel project.

cd laravel-react-js

Install laravel/ui:

Laravel/UI is an official package that offers a login and registration user interface scaffolding for React, Vue and jQuery in the Laravel project.

Run the below command to install the Laravel ui composer package.

composer requires laravel/ui

Install React in Laravel

Now that we have installed the composer UI package, we have to run the below-given command to install React in Laravel.

php artisan ui react

Install Required Packages

We need Node and NPM installed on our development machine.

We can check the Node and NPM installation using the below command.

# for node

node -v

# for npm

npm -v

The following command installs all the javascript packages which are required for our project.

npm install

The above command creates a node_modules folder and automatically installs all the packages that are registered in the package.json file.

Set Up React Component in Laravel

If we run the Laravel app, it won’t load and display the React component in the Laravel view. So, we will create a React component inside the resource/js/User.js and paste the following code in it.

We have also defined a ROOT DOM element 'user' inside the React component. It will fetch any element into the browser’s document object model.

import React from 'react';

import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';

function User() {

    return (

        <div className="container mt-5">

            <div className="row justify-content-center">

                <div className="col-md-8">

                    <div className="card text-center">

                        <div className="card-header"><h2>React Component in Laravel</h2></div>

                        <div className="card-body">I'm tiny React component in Laravel app!</div>

                    </div>

                </div>

            </div>

        </div>

    );

}

export default User;

if (document.getElementById('user')) {

    ReactDOM.render(<User />, document.getElementById('user'));

}

We have to register the React component inside the resources/js/app.js file.

require('./bootstrap');

require('./components/Example');

require('./components/User');

In this step, we will add the compiled CSS path, React Root DOM and the compiled JavaScript files inside the Laravel layout. The div with the id="user" is the same id that we have declared in the document.getElementById('user').

Place the given below code inside the views/welcome.blade.php template.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html lang="{{ str_replace('_', '-', app()->getLocale()) }}">

<head>

    <meta charset="utf-8">

    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

    <title>Laravel</title>

    <!-- Styles -->

    <link href="{{ asset('css/app.css') }}" rel="stylesheet">

</head>

<body>

    <!-- React root DOM -->

    <div id="user">

    </div>

    <!-- React JS -->

    <script src="{{ asset('js/app.js') }}" defer></script>

</body>

</html>

Finally, we have to run the command to compile the JavaScript and CSS files for the Laravel and React.js project.

npm run watch

Our code has been compiled. Now run the command to view our app in the browser.

php artisan serve

Advantages & Disadvantages of using React.js

React is essentially a front-end JavaScript library that was developed in 2013. Some of the major advantages of using React.js is as follows:

The Upside:

React.js is based on JavaScript and JS which makes it easier to build dynamic UIs since we can develop reusable HTML elements.

• React offers spectacular data binding as it trails one-directional data binding so you can track all of the changes made to any specific segment of the data resulting in a stable code-base.
• React uses Redux, a predictable state container for JavaScript apps that enables programmers to write applications that can run in different environments – client, server, or native.
• React is declarative in nature which means it enables significant data changes that cause automatic alteration in the selected parts of the user interfaces.

Since React comes with a progressive functionality, there is no extra function that you need to perform to update the user interface. 

The Downside:

• The JavaScript extension syntax or JSX in React.js is not preferred by many web developers due to the complexity and steep learning process.
• There are new tools and documents that are frequently released with React, and they make it difficult for the developers to know what the codes are.
• The architecture of React undergoes plenty of frequent changes.

FAQs:

Q Can I use React Native with Laravel for Mobile App Development?

Yes, you can use React Native with Laravel for mobile app development. React Native is a framework for building native mobile apps using React. Laravel can be used as the backend for your React Native app. This allows you to use a familiar language and ecosystem for your backend, while also taking advantage of the performance and native capabilities of React Native for your mobile app.

Q- Is it better to use React or Laravel for my project?

This depends on your specific project requirements. React is ideal for building complex user interfaces, while Laravel is designed for building scalable and secure web applications. If your project requires a lot of dynamic user interaction and real-time updates, React might be a better choice. On the other hand, if your project involves heavy backend processing, database management, and security considerations, Laravel might be a better fit.

Q- Can React Native and Laravel work together for mobile development?

Yes, React Native and Laravel can work together for mobile development. React Native can be used to create mobile applications, and Laravel can be used as the backend API for the application. Laravel can provide the required data for the mobile app while React Native can be used to create the front-end.

Q- What are the advantages of using React.js?

React.js is a front-end JavaScript library that has several advantages, including high performance, reusable components, an easy learning curve, excellent developer tools, and better SEO. It also allows for easy debugging and has a vast community of developers.

 

Q- Is it difficult to integrate React with Laravel?

Integrating React with Laravel can be challenging for beginners, but it's definitely doable. You will need to have some knowledge of PHP, JavaScript, and React to get started. The process involves installing Laravel, adding the Laravel/UI package, installing React, setting up the required packages, and creating a React component in Laravel. Follow the steps outlined in the text to integrate React with Laravel.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Laravel is a trending framework for a reason and React.js is one of the best frontend libraries out there. As JS is fast and runs on the client side, the user experience is very good and we can use the power of JS in our project smoothly and successfully. As a result, your project will run smoothly and the user will have a better experience while using your application.

Elevate your mobile app with our expert team! We can show you everything you need to know about learning how to use React in a Laravel application and how we use our mobile app development services to create robust web experiences for your business.