README

Introduction

CI4-LaraBridge is a bridge package that brings Laravel-like functionality to CodeIgniter 4 applications. This package aims to provide a familiar Laravel development experience while maintaining the speed and simplicity of the CodeIgniter 4 framework without touching its core features.

This package is in experimental stage and many more features may change or added

Installation

To install the package, run the following command in your CodeIgniter 4 project:

composer require rcalicdan/ci4-larabridge

After installation, you need to run the setup command to initialize the package:

php spark laravel:setup

This command will:

• Set up and publish configuration files
• Configure package events
• Set up autodiscovery features

Always run this setup command before using any CI4-LaraBridge features in your application.

Why CI4-LaraBridge?

This package was created to address the needs of developers who:

1. Are familiar with Laravel but work in a CodeIgniter 4 environment
2. Want to leverage some of Laravel's elegant syntax and powerful features without switching frameworks
3. Need to maintain existing CodeIgniter projects but prefer Laravel's development approach

Who Should Use It?

CI4-LaraBridge is ideal for:

• Laravel developers transitioning to CodeIgniter 4 projects
• CodeIgniter 4 developers looking to adopt Laravel-style syntax and patterns
• Teams working with mixed Laravel/CodeIgniter codebases
• Developers who appreciate Laravel's expressiveness but prefer CodeIgniter's performance

Features

CI4-LaraBridge brings several key Laravel features to CodeIgniter 4:

• Eloquent ORM: Use Laravel's powerful ORM for database operations: Check Here
• Blade Templating: Implement Blade templates for clean, reusable views: Check Here
• Laravel Validation: Leverage Laravel's robust validation system: Check Here
• Laravel Style Form Requests: Encapsulate validation logic in dedicated request classes:: Check Here
• Gates and Policies: Implement Laravel-style authorization: Check Here
• Simple Authentication: Easily implement user authentication
• Auto Redirect Error Validation: Automatic redirection with validation errors
• Clean Syntax: Write more expressive, readable code
• Eloquent Migration and Models: Define and manage database schema with Eloquent
• Pagination Support: Easily paginate results with Laravel-style methods
• Laravel HTTP: Easily calls api with it's expressive and elegant systax

Benefits

• Familiar Syntax: Use Laravel-style facades, helpers, and patterns in CodeIgniter 4
• Gradual Adoption: Implement Laravel features incrementally without overhauling your entire application
• Performance: Maintain CodeIgniter's speed while enhancing developer experience
• Best of Both Worlds: Leverage specific Laravel strengths without abandoning CodeIgniter benefits
• Smoother Learning Curve: Reduce the learning curve for Laravel developers working on CI4 projects

Custom Commands

CI4-LaraBridge provides several custom commands to enhance your development experience: Check Here

Syntax Comparison

Creating a New User

With CI4-LaraBridge:

public function store()
{
    User::create(StoreUserRequest::validateRequest());
    return redirect()->route_to('users.index')->with('success', 'User created successfully');
}

Native CodeIgniter 4:

public function store()
{
    $validation = \Config\Services::validation();
    $validation->setRules([
        'name' => 'required|min_length[3]',
        'email' => 'required|valid_email|is_unique[users.email]',
        'password' => 'required|min_length[8]'
    ]);
    
    if (!$validation->withRequest($this->request)->run()) {
        return redirect()->back()->withInput()->with('errors', $validation->getErrors());
    }
    
    $userModel = new \App\Models\UserModel();
    $userModel->insert([
        'name' => $this->request->getPost('name'),
        'email' => $this->request->getPost('email'),
        'password' => password_hash($this->request->getPost('password'), PASSWORD_BCRYPT)
    ]);
    
    return redirect()->to('/users')->with('message', 'User created successfully');
}

Retrieving Users with Pagination

With CI4-LaraBridge:

public function index()
{
    $users = User::paginate(15);
    return view('users.index', compact('users'));
}

Native CodeIgniter 4:

public function index()
{
    $userModel = new \App\Models\UserModel();
    $data['users'] = $userModel->paginate(15);
    $data['pager'] = $userModel->pager;
    
    return view('users/index', $data);
}

Plan Features

1. Eloquent Seeder
2. Eloquent Factory
3. More Complex Authentication

Limitations

It's important to note that CI4-LaraBridge does not implement all advanced Laravel features. The package focuses on the most commonly used Laravel functionality while maintaining compatibility with CodeIgniter 4's architecture. Some advanced Laravel features like:

• Complex queue systems
• Laravel's event broadcasting
• Some aspects of the advanced authorization system
• Certain middleware implementations

are not fully implemented or may work differently than in Laravel.

Getting Started

After installation and setup, you can begin using Laravel-style syntax in your CodeIgniter 4 application. Check the GitHub repository at https://github.com/rcalicdan/ci4-larabridge for detailed usage examples, available features, and configuration options.