In the world of web development, Laravel has established itself as one of the most popular PHP frameworks due to its elegant syntax, robust features, and scalability. However, while developing Laravel applications, many developers face the challenge of creating URLs without the "http" prefix.
By default, Laravel adds "http" to URLs created using the URL generator, which can be problematic when you want to generate a URL without the "http" prefix. This issue can occur in a variety of scenarios, such as when using SSL or when you want to use a custom protocol like "ftp" or "ssh".
Fortunately, there are several approaches that you can take to generate Laravel app URLs without the "http" prefix. In this article, we will explore different methods that you can use to achieve this, including modifying the Laravel configuration, using URL generators, and leveraging third-party packages.
Different methods to get Base URL in Laravel
When you generate a URL without the http://
or https://
protocol, you are effectively generating a URL that starts with the base URL of your application. This is because the base URL is the root of your application and does not include the protocol.
Here is a list of possible methods to remove the http://
or https://
protocol from URLs in Laravel:
1. Using the url()
helper function:
$baseUrl = url('/');
2. Using the URL
facade:
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\URL;
$baseUrl = URL::to('/');
3. Using the app()
helper function with the UrlGenerator
class:
$baseUrl = app('url')->to('/');
4. Using the Request
facade:
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Request;
$baseUrl = Request::root();
5. Using the Request
instance:
$baseUrl = $request->root();
This method requires you to have access to the $request
object, which is often available in controllers or middleware.
6. Using the global request()
helper function:
$baseUrl = request()->root();
7. Using the config()
helper function:
$baseUrl = config('app.url');
This method retrieves the base URL from the 'app.url' configuration value in the config/app.php
file.
Different methods to generate URLs in Laravel
1. Using the url()
helper function:
// Generating a basic URL
$url = url('path/here');
// Generating a URL with parameters
$url = url('path/{id}', ['id' => 1]);
2. Using the route()
helper function:
// Generating a URL to a named route without parameters
$url = route('route.name');
// Generating a URL to a named route with parameters
$url = route('route.name', ['id' => 1]);
// Generating a URL to a named route with query parameters
$url = route('route.name', ['id' => 1, 'query' => 'value']);
3. Using the action()
helper function:
// Generating a URL to a controller action without parameters
$url = action('ControllerName@methodName');
// Generating a URL to a controller action with parameters
$url = action('ControllerName@methodName', ['id' => 1]);
4. Using the URL
facade:
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\URL;
// Generating a basic URL
$url = URL::to('path/here');
// Generating a URL to a named route
$url = URL::route('route.name', ['id' => 1]);
// Generating a URL to a controller action
$url = URL::action('ControllerName@methodName', ['id' => 1]);
5. Using the UrlGenerator
class:
use Illuminate\Routing\UrlGenerator;
// Generating a basic URL
$url = $urlGenerator->to('path/here');
// Generating a URL to a named route
$url = $urlGenerator->route('route.name', ['id' => 1]);
// Generating a URL to a controller action
$url = $urlGenerator->action('ControllerName@methodName', ['id' => 1]);
Different methods to access URLs in Laravel
In Laravel, there are several methods to access the current URL or parts of the URL. Here are some of the most common methods:
1. Using the Request
facade:
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Request;
// Get the current URL
$currentUrl = Request::url();
// Get the full URL including the query string
$fullUrl = Request::fullUrl();
// Get the current request's path
$path = Request::path();
// Get a specific segment from the URL
$segment = Request::segment(1);
2. Using the Request
instance:
// Get the current URL
$currentUrl = $request->url();
// Get the full URL including the query string
$fullUrl = $request->fullUrl();
// Get the current request's path
$path = $request->path();
// Get a specific segment from the URL
$segment = $request->segment(1);
This method requires you to have access to the $request
object, which is often available in controllers or middleware.
3. Using the global request()
helper function:
// Get the current URL
$currentUrl = request()->url();
// Get the full URL including the query string
$fullUrl = request()->fullUrl();
// Get the current request's pat
$path = request()->path();
// Get a specific segment from the URL
$segment = request()->segment(1);
4. Using the url()
helper function to access the current URL:
// Get the current URL
$currentUrl = url()->current();
// Get the full URL including the query string
$fullUrl = url()->full();
// Get the previous URL
$previousUrl = url()->previous();
5. Using the URL
facade to access the current URL:
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\URL;
// Get the current URL
$currentUrl = URL::current();
// Get the full URL including the query string
$fullUrl = URL::full();
// Get the previous URL
$previousUrl = URL::previous();
Summary
In Laravel, a popular PHP web framework, there are several methods for handling URLs, including getting the base URL, generating URLs, and accessing the current URL or its parts. To obtain the base URL, you can use various helper functions, facades, and instances, such as url()
, URL
, Request
, app()
, request()
, and config()
. When generating URLs, Laravel offers several options, including the url()
, route()
, and action()
helper functions, as well as the URL
facade and the UrlGenerator
class. These methods allow you to create URLs to specific paths, named routes, or controller actions, with or without parameters.
Accessing the current URL or its segments can be done using the Request
facade, Request
instance, global request()
helper function, url()
helper function, and URL
facade. These methods provide access to the current URL, full URL with query string, path, specific segments, and previous URL. Each method has its unique use case and can be employed in various parts of your Laravel application, such as controllers, middleware, or views. Familiarizing yourself with these methods will enable you to handle URLs efficiently and adapt your code to different situations, ultimately enhancing your Laravel development skills.
Further Reading