What's New in Laravel 10: Exploring the Latest Features

Updated: Mar 25, 2023

Laravel, the popular PHP web application framework, has recently released its latest version - Laravel 10. With a host of new features and improvements, Laravel 10 promises to offer developers an even better development experience. In this article, we will explore the new features and enhancements introduced in Laravel 10, along with examples of how to use them.

Introduction to Laravel 10

The most recent major version of the Laravel framework is Laravel 10. A number of new features and enhancements are included with it, such as support for PHP 8.1, improved performance, and additional helpers and functions. Before upgrading, it's vital to thoroughly check the release notes because Laravel 10 also brings about a number of breaking changes that could have an impact on current applications.


New Features and Enhancements in Laravel 10

PHP 8.1 Support

The most recent release of the PHP programming language, PHP 8.1, is fully supported by Laravel 10. This indicates that PHP 8.1's new functionality and performance enhancements, such as the new fdiv() function for floating-point division, can be utilised by Laravel 10 applications.

Improved Performance

Numerous performance improvements in Laravel 10 can increase the speed and effectiveness of your apps. For instance, the framework now communicates with C libraries via PHP's integrated FFI (Foreign Function Interface), which can greatly enhance performance for specific activities.

New Blade Components

In Laravel 10, a number of new components have been added to Blade, the robust templating engine. These elements make it simpler to develop modular, reusable UI components for your apps. For instance, the new x-modal component can be used to quickly and easily create modal dialogue boxes.

Improved Routing

The routing system in Laravel 10 has been enhanced in a number of ways, including the addition of optional route parameters and more adaptable route parameter validation. These improvements could make it simpler for you to design intricate, dynamic routes for your apps.

New Helpers and Functions

Laravel 10 adds a number of new helpers and functions that can make straightforward development chores easier. For instance, the str_contains() function can be used to determine whether a string includes a specific substring, and the new optional() helper can be used to safely access properties or methods on nullable objects.

Breaking Changes

Laravel 10 has a number of breaking changes that could have an impact on current applications, as with any major release. These adjustments include a new PHP 8.0 minimum requirement, the elimination of antiquated functionality and techniques, and modifications to a number of fundamental classes and interfaces. It's crucial to read the release notes thoroughly and update your code before upgrading to Laravel 10.

Examples of Laravel 10 Features

To demonstrate some of the new features in Laravel 10, let's take a look at some code examples.

PHP 8.1 Support

In Laravel 10, you can take advantage of PHP 8.1 features such as the fdiv() function for floating-point division:

$quotient = fdiv(10.5, 2.0); // 5.25

New Blade Components

With the new x-modal component in Laravel 10, you can create modal dialogs with minimal code:

<x-modal title="Example Modal">
<p>This is the modal content.</p>
</x-modal>

Improved Routing

Laravel 10's improved routing system allows you to specify optional parameters in your routes:

Route::get('/blog/{slug}/{page?}', function ($slug, $page = 1) {
    // ...
});

New Helpers and Functions

The new optional() helper in Laravel 10 allows you to safely access properties or methods on nullable objects:

$user = User::find($id);

$profilePicture = optional($user)->profilePicture;

The str_contains() function can be used to check if a string contains a given substring:

if (str_contains($string, 'example')) {
// ...
}

Conclusion

The famous PHP web application framework Laravel 10 receives a number of new features and improvements in this significant version. Laravel 10 provides developers with an even better development experience thanks to support for PHP 8.1, enhanced performance, new Blade components, improved routing, and additional helpers and functions. Before updating your programmes to Laravel 10, you should carefully read the release notes and take into account any breaking changes.