Laravel

--- title: Laravel Requests and Inputs Part1 date: 2014-03-08 00:00:00 featured_image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1544411047-c491e34a24e0?q=90&fm=jpg&w=1000&fit=max excerpt: Laravel has awesome methods to retrieve, change, create and store request data. It allows you to handle both `$_GET` and `$_POST` data and store in session or cookies. Let's look at some methods of accessing request data. --- ![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1544411047-c491e34a24e0?q=90&fm=jpg&w=1000&fit=max) Laravel has awesome methods to retrieve, change, create and store request data. It allows you to handle both `$_GET` and `$_POST` data and store in session or cookies. Let's look at some methods of accessing request data. ### Basic Input The `Input::all()` method used to return array of both `$_GET` and `$_POST` data within current request. Let's create a route that will output all request data. ```php Route::any('get', function(){ //return current request data var_dump(Input::all()); }); ``` Visit `http://localhost//public/get?var1=hello&var2=clivern` to see reply. ```php array (size=2) 'var1' => string 'hello' (length=5) 'var2' => string 'clivern' (length=7) ``` As you can see, laravel return array of `$_GET` data. The request data can come from another source, the `$_POST` data. To demonstrate this we need to create simple form and its route. ```php //app/routes.php Route::get('form',function(){ //return app/views/form.blade.php return View::make('form'); }); ``` ```html Laravel ``` Visit `http://localhost//public/form` and hit submit button to see reply. ```php array (size=2) 'var3' => string 'hello' (length=5) 'var4' => string 'clivern' (length=7) ``` Laravel return array of the `$_POST` data. Retrieving complete request data is useful but sometimes we want to retrieve single input data. To retrieve single input with its key, you can use `Input::get()` method. ```php Route::any('get', function(){ //return values of var1 and var2 only var_dump(Input::get('var1','var2')); //also return values of var1 and var2 only var_dump(Input::only('var1','var2')); }); ``` Well, if you want to check if specific input exists or not, you can use the `Input::has()` method. ```php Route::any('get', function(){ //check if request data contain var1 var_dump(Input::has('var1')); }); ``` The `Input::except()` method will return all request data and exclude the keys we have provided. For example. ```php Route::any('get', function(){ //get all request data except var4 and var5 var_dump(Input::except('var4','var5')); }); ``` ### Old Input Sometimes we need to store our request data because `$_POST` and `$_GET` data are available only for current request and can't be retrieved in subsequent requests. To demonstrate this, we need to store request data in session or cookies. You can use `withInput()` method to redirect client to new route with old `$_POST` and `$_GET` data. ```php //app/routes.php Route::any('get', function(){ //redirect to new route with current $_GET data return Redirect::to('new')->withInput(); }); Route::any('new', function(){ //Render old $_GET data var_dump(Input::old()); }); Route::get('form',function(){ //return app/views/form.blade.php return View::make('form'); }); ``` ```html Laravel ``` Well. Let's visit `http://localhost//public/get?var1=2&var2=56`. Also visit `http://localhost//public/form` and hit submit button.You should see this. ```php // http://localhost//public/get?var1=2&var2=56 array (size=2) 'var1' => string '2' (length=1) 'var2' => string '56' (length=2) // http://localhost//public/form array (size=2) 'var3' => string 'hello' (length=5) 'var4' => string 'clivern' (length=7) ``` Actually last example shows how to store all data of requests. Let's explore how to store custom list of data. ```php Route::any('get', function(){ //redirect to new route with current $_GET['var1'] return Redirect::to('new')->withInput(Input::only('var1')); }); Route::any('new', function(){ //Render old $_GET data var_dump(Input::old()); }); ``` ### Cookies Laravel provides handy methods to create and retrieve cookies. we can use `Cookie::make()` to create cookie. This method accepts three parameters. The first parameter is the key, the second parameter is the value and the third parameter is the expiry time in minutes. laravel encrypts cookies so don't worry about security. Here's how to create your first cookie. ```php Route::get('set', function(){ //create cookie for 30 min $Cookie = Cookie::make('CookieKey', 'CookieValue', 30); }); ``` Well, Let's test our cookie by attaching it to route response using `withCookie()` method like that. ```php Route::get('set', function(){ //create cookie for 30 min $cookie = Cookie::make('Key','value1',30); //get cookie value return Response::make('value2')->withCookie($cookie); //output: value2 }); ``` The `get` will retrieve cookie value using `Cookie::get()` method like that. ```php Route::get('get', function(){ //get cookie var_dump(Cookie::get('Key')); //output: string 'value' (length=5) }); ``` Perhaps you need method to check existance of cookie to remove it. Explore the following code. ```php Route::get('get', function(){ //check if cookie exist if(Cookie::has('Key')){ //forget cookie Cookie::forget('key'); } }); ```