All Laracasts series are categorized into various topics. This should provide you with an alternate way to decide what to learn next, whether it be a particular framework, language, or tool.
In this workshop, we'll focus exclusively on the open-closed principle (the O in SOLID). Using real-life code, line by line, we'll refactor a confusing class into something far more manageable and extendable. Once finished, we'll have gained the luxury of introducing new functionality, not by modifying existing code, but by instead writing a new class.
The typical beginner, whether they realize it or not, first learns procedural programming. But, before too long, they level up. Suddenly, an entirely different paradigm is introduced: object-oriented programming. Little do they know that they'll spend years researching and learning exactly what it means to work with objects and messages. In this series, you'll be introduced to the core principles of object-oriented programming in PHP. We'll begin with the basic constructs and work our way up.
In this series, step by step, I'll show you how to build web applications with Laravel. We'll start with the basics and incrementally dig deeper and deeper, as we review real-life examples. Once complete, you should have all the tools you need. Let's get to work!
SOLID represents a series of guidelines that developers can use to, if done well, simplify and clarify their code. While certainly not laws, understanding these concepts will make you a better developer.
A design pattern is a common solution to a common problem. Nothing more, nothing less. And, while some of these approaches might seem foreign or overwhelming to you, the important thing to remember is that, as a developer, you are in charge. That means you decide when a pattern is appropriate, and when it's completely unnecessary. That's the key.