Building a Simple To-Do List in Laravel

Laravel, with its elegant syntax and powerful features, makes it easy to build a simple to-do list application. In this guide, we'll walk through the steps to create a basic to-do list, allowing users to add, edit, and delete tasks using Laravel's MVC structure.

1. Laravel Installation

If you haven't already, make sure you have Laravel installed. You can create a new Laravel project using Composer:

        
composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel todo-list
    

2. Database Configuration

Configure your database details in the `.env` file. Create a new database for your to-do list:

        
DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=your_database_name
DB_USERNAME=your_database_username
DB_PASSWORD=your_database_password
    

3. Migration for Tasks Table

Create a migration for the tasks table:

        
php artisan make:migration create_tasks_table --create=tasks
    

Define the columns for the tasks table in the generated migration file. For example:

        
public function up()
{
    Schema::create('tasks', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->string('title');
        $table->timestamps();
    });
}
    

Run the migration to create the tasks table:

        
php artisan migrate
    

4. Model for Task

Create a model for the Task:

        
php artisan make:model Task
    

In the `Task` model, define the fillable properties:

        
protected $fillable = ['title'];
    

5. Controller for Tasks

Create a controller for managing tasks:

        
php artisan make:controller TaskController
    

In the `TaskController`, define methods for showing tasks, creating tasks, updating tasks, and deleting tasks.

6. Routes

Define routes for your to-do list in the `web.php` routes file. For example:

        
Route::get('/tasks', 'TaskController@index');
Route::post('/tasks', 'TaskController@store');
Route::put('/tasks/{task}', 'TaskController@update');
Route::delete('/tasks/{task}', 'TaskController@destroy');
    

7. Blade Views

Create Blade views for listing tasks, displaying the form for adding tasks, and editing tasks.

8. Form Submission

Handle form submissions in the `TaskController`. Use Eloquent to create, update, and delete tasks.

9. Conclusion

Congratulations! You've built a simple to-do list in Laravel. This basic example can be extended with features like user authentication, task prioritization, due dates, and more.

For further learning, explore Laravel's documentation on Eloquent ORM, Blade templating, and form handling to enhance and customize your to-do list application.