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Rohit Dhiman
Rohit Dhiman

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Laravel Directory Structure – A Beginner’s Walkthrough 🚀

#webdev #beginners #laravel #php

Laravel’s elegant syntax and organized directory structure make it a favorite among PHP developers. If you're just getting started, understanding the Laravel file system is crucial. In this post, I’ll break it down simply.

🗂️ 1. Root Overview

A freshly installed Laravel project looks something like this:

app/
bootstrap/
config/
database/
public/
resources/
routes/
storage/
tests/
vendor/
.env
artisan
composer.json
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Let’s explore what these folders actually mean.

📁 2. Key Folders Explained

  • app/
    This is where the core logic of your application lives. You’ll find Controllers, Models, Events, Listeners, Policies, and more here.
    Most of your backend logic happens inside this folder.

  • routes/
    This folder contains all your route definitions.

    • web.php handles web routes
    • api.php handles API routes
    • console.php is for Artisan commands
    • channels.php defines broadcast channels

  • resources/
    This is where your frontend lives:

    • Blade templates (views/)
    • CSS, JS files (assets/)
    • Language translation files (lang/)

  • public/
    This is the entry point to your application. The index.php file here handles all incoming requests.
    This folder also stores images, compiled CSS/JS, and other public-facing assets.

  • config/
    This contains configuration files for your app – like app.php, auth.php, mail.php, and more.
    You can control everything from session timeout to database connections here.

  • database/
    This holds your:

    • Migrations (for table creation)
    • Factories (for dummy data)
    • Seeders (to populate tables)

  • storage/
    This is used to store logs, file uploads, cache, and compiled Blade views.
    Pro tip: Run php artisan storage:link to create a symbolic link to serve storage files from public/.

  • vendor/
    This is where Composer installs all Laravel dependencies and third-party packages. You typically don’t touch this folder.

  • .env
    This file stores environment-specific variables like your DB credentials, mail settings, app key, etc.
    Never commit this file to version control!

✅ 3. Why Is This Structure Important?

Laravel encourages separation of concerns, meaning each part of your application has a clear purpose and place.
This makes your project:

  • Easier to maintain
  • More scalable
  • Cleaner for teams to collaborate on

🧠 4. Quick Tip for Beginners

If you're ever lost, run:

php artisan list
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This shows all the Artisan commands you can use to generate files and interact with Laravel’s features.

🛠️ 5. Final Thoughts

Once you understand Laravel's folder structure, everything starts to click. It’s one of the most well-organized frameworks out there. Take time to explore each directory and try creating routes, controllers, and views manually to get hands-on practice.

👉 https://github.com/rohitdhiman91/laravel-directory-structure-explained

Let me know what topic you’d like explained next — Eloquent, Blade, or Laravel Livewire?
Happy coding! 🚀

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