Deploying React with Laravel

Both React and Laravel are powerhouses in their own right. React has an excellent front-end library for creating single-page applications, while Laravel is an excellent PHP framework that is perfect for developing server-side logic. Combining these two can result in highly efficient web applications. If this is your first time deploying React with Laravel backend, it might seem tricky. Here's a guide to help you.

Prerequisites for React with Laravel

Before diving in, make sure you have the following installed:

1. PHP >= 7.3

2. Composer

3. Node.js and npm

4. Laravel CLI

5. Git

Create Laravel Project

Begin by creating a new Laravel project:

composer create-project laravel/laravel .

Install React

Laravel provides an easy way to scaffold a React setup using its frontend preset:

composer require laravel/ui
php artisan ui react

Now, install the dependencies:

npm install --save-dev react react-dom

To make this usable throughout your entire application, you'll have to include this in your JavaScript code bundle. To do so, open the resoureces/js/app.js file and update its code as follows:

// resoureces/js/app.js

require('./bootstrap');

// React Components
require('./components/Example')

You'll have to change the Laravel Mix configuration so that it can compile the React component properly. To do so, open the webpack.mix.js file from the project root and update its code as follows:

// webpack.mix.js

const mix = require('laravel-mix');

mix.js('resources/js/app.js', 'public/js')
    .react()
    .postCss('resources/css/app.css', 'public/css', [
        //
]);

Build Your React App

You'll find a resources/js directory where you can build your React application. The entry point is resources/js/app.js.

Here's an example of a simple React component (resources/js/components/Example.js):

import React from 'react';

const Example = () => {
    return (
        <div className="container">
            <h1>Hello, React!</h1>
        </div>
    );
}

export default Example;

Compile Assets

Compile your React and Laravel assets using Laravel Mix:

npm run dev

Laravel Routing

To make Laravel work with React Router, you need to ensure that all routes point to your Laravel entry point (public/index.php). In your routes/web.php file, add:

Route::get('/{any}', function () {
    return view('welcome');
})->where('any', '.*');

Deploying React with Laravel

Once you're satisfied with your local setup, it's time to deploy. You can use various methods for deploying a Laravel app, such as:

1. Shared Hosting: Zip your project and upload it via cPanel, then link your database.

2. AWS EC2: Provision an EC2 instance and deploy your application using Git and Composer.

3. Heroku: Use the Heroku CLI to deploy both the React frontend and Laravel backend easily.

4. Docker: Containerize your application for a consistent environment.

Remember:

• Run composer install for installing PHP dependencies.

• Run npm install and npm run prod for your frontend dependencies and build.

• Adjust your .env settings according to your production environment.

Conclusion

Integrating a React frontend with a Laravel backend is a powerful way to build modern web applications. By following this guide, you should be equipped with the basic steps required to deploy this stack successfully.