Absolutely, it's a great question — and workflow varies a bit between teams and developers, but here’s how experienced Laravel developers typically approach building an app:
1. Planning and Prototyping:
Before you touch code, it helps to plan the features and user flow. If you need design approval, you might work with static HTML/CSS mockups first (sometimes using tools like Figma or Sketch).
2. Jumping in with Laravel:
If there’s no need for upfront design sign-off, most Laravel developers start directly with Laravel's tooling, as it provides a nice structure out of the box. This means:
- Set up your Laravel project.
- Create your routes in
routes/web.php. - Create controllers to group related logic.
- Build out Blade views for your pages.
- Start splitting common parts into Blade components or layouts as you see repetition.
This way, your app quickly becomes maintainable and organized, and you avoid wasting time doing things twice (e.g., moving static HTML into Blade).
Typical Workflow Example:
- Define a route.
- Create a controller method to handle logic for the route.
- Return a Blade view from the controller.
- Develop your Blade template, using @include or components as necessary.
// routes/web.php
Route::get('/projects', [ProjectController::class, 'index']);
// app/Http/Controllers/ProjectController.php
public function index() {
$projects = Project::all();
return view('projects.index', compact('projects'));
}
// resources/views/projects/index.blade.php
@extends('layouts.app')
@section('content')
@foreach ($projects as $project)
<x-project-card :project="$project" />
@endforeach
@endsection
Summary:
- If you need sign-off, start with static HTML or design.
- If not, definitely start directly with Laravel’s routing, controllers, and Blade templates, then extract layouts and components as your codebase matures.
- Most experienced developers prefer to develop "in context," creating layouts, routes, and logic together, then splitting code for reusability and clarity.
Let me know if you’d like more detailed workflow tips, or advice specific to your project's stage!
