What’s New in Laravel Version 10 – Explore its Latest Features & Updates
Published On - October 20, 2023
Laravel continues to amaze us with its latest enhancements, and Laravel 10 is certainly no different. In this blog post, you will have a comprehensive overview of Laravel 10, highlighting its exciting new features, improved functionality, and details on deprecated methods and packages. Explore the latest offering from Laravel in its tenth version.
Laravel 10 Release Details
Previously, Laravel adhered to a bi-annual release cycle for major versions. However, with Laravel 9, the development team transitioned to an annual release schedule. Laravel 10 was officially released on February 14, 2023, introducing a host of noteworthy updates.
Each new Laravel version, including Laravel 10, comes with two official resources:
Upgrade Guide – Designed for those upgrading from Laravel 9 or earlier, this guide is concise and user-friendly. The two most impactful changes involve updates to dependencies and minimum stability requirements, necessitating PHP 8.1+ and Composer 2.2+. It’s crucial to ensure that your “minimum-stability” setting is configured as “stable.” Other changes come with varying degrees of impact, ranging from medium to low, very low, or being optional.
Release Notes – While the release notes for Laravel 10 may not be as extensive as those of previous versions, they do contain essential updates. These notes are more concise but still provide valuable insights into the changes and improvements introduced in Laravel 10.
What is the Laravel Framework?
Laravel identifies itself as the “PHP Framework for Web Artisans.” This open-source PHP framework is employed for crafting dynamic web applications. In addition to being considerably more secure than core PHP, Laravel is renowned for its emphasis on maintaining clean and elegant code.
Laravel 10’s Latest Features and Enhancements
Dropped support for PHP version 8.0:
Laravel 10 no longer provides support for PHP 8.0, necessitating an upgrade to either PHP 8.1 or 8.2. While immediate updates for your Laravel applications may not be mandatory, we strongly advise thorough testing, especially for projects involving paid clients or employees. Additionally, upgrading to Predis v2 is now a requirement, as support for Predis v1 has been terminated alongside PHP 8.0.
Introduced Laravel Pennant:
Laravel Pennant is a straightforward and effective feature flag package created to streamline the integration of new features into your application. It includes an A/B testing interface, accommodates trunk-based development methodologies, and provides additional capabilities. Feature flags empower you to enable or disable features at runtime without the need to alter your code.
Effortless process management:
Laravel further simplifies and extends the Symphony Process component API, enabling you to seamlessly execute external processes within your Laravel application. This process functionality adeptly addresses common use cases and substantially elevates the development process.
Default Invokable Validation Rules:
In Laravel 9, developers had to append the “–invokable” flag to the artisan command when creating a new Invokable rule. Laravel 10 simplifies this process by providing a more straightforward command. Moreover, this simplified command structure makes it easier for developers to understand the underlying boilerplate code, reducing complexity and empowering them to create their own custom validation rules effortlessly.
Enhanced Application Skeleton Code with Type Declarations:
Traditionally, Laravel has utilised DocBlocks in its skeleton code to provide clear explanations of code functionality, including responses and parameters. However, the latest Laravel version introduces Type Declarations, which necessitate the inclusion of type-hints and return types in all user code throughout the framework. These improvements deliver multiple benefits without compromising backward compatibility with the core framework. They encompass Method Arguments, Return Types, a reduction in redundant annotations whenever possible, the removal of the Types property, and the facilitation of user access to closure arguments.
Elimination of dispatchNow():
Laravel 10 has discarded the ‘dispatchNow()’ method, a feature that was deprecated in Laravel 9 in favour of ‘dispatchSync()’. It is essential to replace this method in all your existing projects, as it represents a significant change. However, the solution is straightforward: remove the passive voice from this paragraph.
Deprecations from Laravel 9:
In its most recent update, the Laravel team is progressively phasing out methods deprecated in Laravel 9 within the Laravel 10 branch. The Laravel documentation encompasses an updated upgrade process, which compiles a comprehensive list of all deprecated methods and packages.
Preparing for project migration to Laravel v10 will require developers to reimagine their code using a fresh approach to attain the desired results. Laravel v10 introduces numerous deprecations and deletions when compared to version 9 and the master branch. These alterations necessitate an active approach to code adaptation.
Here’s a List of Deprecated Items:
- The Route::home method, which was removed in Laravel 9
- The getBaseQuery method, now substituted with the toBase method
- The MaintenanceModeException class is now considered obsolete and not in use
- The MocksApplicationServices trait
- The Mail::failures method within the mail fake
- I recommend using $casts instead of the deprecated $dates property
- The method assertTimesSent()
- Predis 1 and doctrine/dbal 2 no longer receive active support
- All related deprecations in doctrine/dbal, as Laravel has discontinued support for version 2.
It’s Time to Upgrade to Laravel 10 Now
Keep in mind that Laravel is an open-source framework. When you set up an instance, you have control of the codebase. Even if your version is no longer supported, your app will keep working, but you’ll be responsible for upkeep. Prioritise stability over frequent upgrades. Consider upgrading to Laravel 10 if: –
- Your current Laravel app is running smoothly.
- The upgrade brings essential features or resolves critical issues.
- Thoroughly test your app before upgrading to the production environment.
Laravel 10 represents a substantial leap forward from its predecessors. The introduction of new features and enhancements makes it a more robust and efficient framework for web application development. Its heightened responsiveness, enhanced routing system, and advanced capabilities, including support for multiple database connections and read replicas, position Laravel 10 as the top choice for developers handling intricate applications. Hope this blog has provided you with a comprehensive overview of the remarkable upgrades in Laravel 10.
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