Laravel 5.7 Features Guide

Email verification is essential for user security. Laravel 5.7 makes it native with one trait. Guest policies and improved testing enhance application quality. At ZIRA Software, we implement these features in every production application.

Email Verification

Enable with one trait:

// app/User.php
use Illuminate\Contracts\Auth\MustVerifyEmail;

class User extends Authenticatable implements MustVerifyEmail
{
    use Notifiable;

    // That's it!
}

Protect routes:

// routes/web.php
Route::get('/dashboard', function () {
    // Only verified users can access
})->middleware(['auth', 'verified']);

Customize email:

// app/Notifications/VerifyEmail.php
use Illuminate\Auth\Notifications\VerifyEmail as VerifyEmailBase;

class VerifyEmail extends VerifyEmailBase
{
    public function toMail($notifiable)
    {
        $verificationUrl = $this->verificationUrl($notifiable);

        return (new MailMessage)
            ->subject('Verify Your Email Address')
            ->line('Click the button below to verify your email address.')
            ->action('Verify Email Address', $verificationUrl);
    }
}

Guest Authorization Policies

Allow unauthenticated users:

// app/Policies/PostPolicy.php
class PostPolicy
{
    // Before 5.7: guests always denied
    // After 5.7: can return true for guests

    public function view(?User $user, Post $post)
    {
        // Guests can view published posts
        if ($post->published) {
            return true;
        }

        // Authors can view their drafts
        return $user && $user->id === $post->user_id;
    }
}

Usage:

// Works for both guests and authenticated users
if (Gate::allows('view', $post)) {
    return view('posts.show', compact('post'));
}

Testing Improvements

Dump and die in tests:

public function test_user_can_create_post()
{
    $response = $this->post('/posts', [
        'title' => 'Test Post',
    ]);

    $response->dump();  // Dump response
    $response->dumpHeaders();  // Dump headers
    $response->dumpSession();  // Dump session

    $response->assertStatus(201);
}

Improved Error Messages

Better exception handling:

// Before: Generic "Class not found" error
// After: Specific binding missing error

// If PostController not bound to container:
// "Target class [App\Http\Controllers\PostController] does not exist."

Action URL Generation

Simpler controller URLs:

// Before
$url = action('PostController@show', ['post' => $post]);

// After (still supported)
$url = action([PostController::class, 'show'], ['post' => $post]);

Nova Symlink Helper

Link storage for Nova:

php artisan storage:link

Paginator Links

Better pagination:

// app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
use Illuminate\Pagination\Paginator;

public function boot()
{
    Paginator::useBootstrap();  // Use Bootstrap 4
}

<!-- resources/views/posts/index.blade.php -->
{{ $posts->links() }}  <!-- Beautiful Bootstrap 4 pagination -->

Notification Localization

Send notifications in user's language:

$user->notify(new InvoicePaid($invoice));

// Notification automatically sent in user's preferred locale

Conclusion

Laravel 5.7 polishes essential features. Email verification, guest policies, and improved testing make building secure applications easier.

Need Laravel development or security consultation? Contact ZIRA Software for expert Laravel services.