Introduction to Routing

What is routing?

Routing, in the context of web development, is similar to a roadmap that guides how a web application responds to user requests. It involves directing incoming HTTP requests to the appropriate parts of the application, often determined by the requested URL. In simpler terms, it's the mechanism that enables a web application to decide which piece of code should handle a particular request and what response to send back to the user.

Example:

Consider a scenario where you are using a web browser to access different pages of an shopping website. Each time you click on a link or type a URL in the address bar, you are making an HTTP request, and routing determines which page or resource should be served in response to the request.

Why is routing Important?

Routing plays a vital role in web development for several reasons:

• Organized Code: Just as road signs and intersections organize traffic flow, routing organizes the flow of requests within a web application. By mapping URLs to specific controllers or actions, routing promotes a structured and maintainable.
• User Experience: Clear and intuitive URLs enhance user experience, much like clear road signs make navigation easier for drivers. Routing enables developers to define meaningful URLs that reflect the structure and content of the application, improving usability and SEO.

Example:

Consider a simple blog application. A well-designed routing system allows users to access different sections of the blog (e.g., home page, individual posts, categories) via intuitive URLs (e.g., /, /post/1, /category/technology).

Overview of routing in Laravel

In Laravel, routing is handled through the routes directory, which contains two primary files: web.php for web routes and api.php for API routes. Routes are defined using a concise and expressive syntax provided by Laravel's routing API.

Example:

Suppose we have a Laravel application for managing a bookstore. In routes/web.php, we define routes for various pages:

Route::get('/', 'HomeController@index')->name('home');
Route::get('/books', 'BookController@index')->name('books');
Route::get('/books/{id}', 'BookController@show')->name('book.show');

• The first route maps the root URL / to the index method of the HomeController.
• The second route maps the /books URL to the index method of the BookController.
• The third route maps URLs like /books/1, /books/2, etc., to the show method of the BookController, passing the book ID as a parameter.