Web Development Articles
Laravel Webpack.mix Asset Compilation AND Performance Optimization
Getting Started with webpack.mix
This is an essential must know for Laravel developers. This tutorial will go through the basics of webpack.mix and preparing live CSS stylesheets and Javascript includes.
Locate webpack.mix.js and the /resources and /public directories. I will define a few ways to specify the files from resources compiled to the live public directory. Check out these 2 examples… they should cover necessary usage for 99% of projects.
Example: Combine multiple files into a single file.
In this example I’ll define a simple way to combine multiple custom javascript files into a single file. Let’s take 4 custom stylesheets and 4 javascript files. We will combine all specified stylesheets from /resources/css into a single stylesheet named /public/css/custom-all.css. Also let’s combine the specified javascript files from /resources/js into a single javascript file named /public/js/custom-all.js
All files that can be edited directly are located in the resources directory. All compiled files will be placed in the public directory where the code can be accessed live.
mix.js('resources/js/app.js', 'public/js')
.vue()
.sass('resources/sass/app.scss', 'public/css');
// Combine all custom JS into one file
mix.scripts([
'resources/js/custom/main.js',
'resources/js/custom/helpers.js',
'resources/js/custom/components/*.js'
], 'public/js/custom-all.js');
// Combine all custom CSS into one file
mix.styles([
'resources/css/custom/main.css',
'resources/css/custom/components/buttons.css',
'resources/css/custom/pages/*.css'
], 'public/css/custom-all.css');
Let’s see how to use things in a blade template:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Your Laravel Application</title>
<!-- Compiled CSS -->
<link href="{{ mix('css/app.css') }}" rel="stylesheet">
<link href="{{ mix('css/custom-all.css') }}" rel="stylesheet">
</head>
<body>
<div id="app">
<!-- Your application content -->
</div>
<!-- Compiled JavaScript -->
<script src="{{ mix('js/app.js') }}"></script>
<script src="{{ mix('js/custom-all.js') }}"></script>
</body>
</html>
Example: Prepare several files.
This example is very similar to the example above. The only difference is in this example we are generating individual files in the public directory for each file specified from the resources directory.
// Webpack-compiled JS and CSS
mix.js('resources/js/app.js', 'public/js')
.vue({ version: 2 })
.sass('resources/sass/app.scss', 'public/css') // Or .css() if not using Sass
.css('resources/css/app.css', 'public/css');
// Custom JS files (separate from Webpack bundle)
mix.js('resources/js/custom/main.js', 'public/js/custom.js')
.js('resources/js/custom/helpers.js', 'public/js/helpers.js');
// Custom CSS files (separate from Webpack bundle)
mix.css('resources/css/custom/main.css', 'public/css/custom.css')
.css('resources/css/custom/components/buttons.css', 'public/css/components/buttons.css');
Notice in webpack.mix.js the definitions for mix.js and mix.css methods. Each of the javascript files and stylesheets from the resources directory has a corresponding file in the public directory.
Now let’s look at how to use this in a blade template:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Your Laravel Application</title>
<!-- Compiled CSS -->
<link href="{{ mix('css/app.css') }}" rel="stylesheet">
<link href="{{ mix('css/custom.css') }}" rel="stylesheet">
<link href="{{ mix('css/components/buttons.css') }}" rel="stylesheet">
</head>
<body>
<div id="app">
<!-- Your application content -->
</div>
<!-- Compiled JavaScript -->
<script src="{{ mix('js/app.js') }}"></script>
<script src="{{ mix('js/custom.js') }}"></script>
<script src="{{ mix('js/helpers.js') }}"></script>
</body>
</html>
To generate the public CSS and JS files:
npm install
npm run dev
Defining a Javascript Function
How To Define a JavaScript Function
There are a few different ways to declare a function in Javascript applications. I’ve laid out 4 ways below so choose the method that best fits your use case! Function declarations are great for named functions, whereas arrow functions are excellent for callbacks and shorter functions.
Using Function Declaration
/** Function Declaration */
function functionName(parameters) {
// code to be executed
return value;
}
// Example
function greet(name) {
return "Hello, " + name + "!";
}
console.log(`My name is ${greet("Alice")}`); // "Hello, Alice!"
Using Function Expression
/** Function Expression */
const functionName = function(parameters) {
// code to be executed
return value;
};
// Example
const multiply = function(a, b) {
return a * b;
};
console.log(`5 * 3 = ${multiply(5, 3)}`); // 15
Using Arrow Functions (ES6)
/** Arrow Function (ES6) */
const functionName = (parameters) => {
// code to be executed
return value;
};
// Examples with different syntax
const square = (x) => {
return x * x;
};
console.log(`Square of 4: ${square(4)}`); // 16
// Implicit return (for single expressions)
const squareRoot = x => x ** 0.5;
console.log(`Square Root of 8: ${squareRoot(8)}`);
// Multiple parameters
const add = (a, b) => a + b;
console.log(`2 + 3 = ${add(2, 3)}`); // 5
// No parameters
const title = () => "Math";
console.log(`The page title is "${pageTitle()}"`);
Using the Function Constructor
/** 4. Function Constructor (less common) */
const functionName = new Function("parameters", "function body");
// Example
const divide = new Function("a", "b", "return a / b;");
console.log(divide(10, 2)); // 5
A Quick HowTo of PHP Operators
Math Operators
Addition:
Caculate the sum of two numbers using the + operator.
$sum = 1 + 3;
The value of $sum is 4.
Subtraction:
Caculate the difference of two numbers using the - operator.
$diff = 3 - 2;
The value of $diff is 1.
Division:
Calculate the quotient of two numbers using the / operator.
$quotient = 4 / 2;
The value of $quotient is 2.
Multiplication:
Calculate the product using the * operator.
$product = 4 * 5;
The value of $product is 20.
Modulo:
Gives the remainder after dividing two numbers the % operator.
$remainder = 10 % 3;The value of $remainder is 1.
PHP Match Expression (match)
PHP Match Expression (match)
The PHP match expression is a powerful feature introduced in PHP 8.0 that provides a more concise and flexible alternative to switch statements.
Basic Match Syntax
$result = match ($value) {
pattern1 => expression1,
pattern2 => expression2,
// ...
default => default_expression,
};
Comparison switch vs match
// switch statement
switch ($statusCode) {
case 200:
$message = 'OK';
break;
case 404:
$message = 'Not Found';
break;
case 500:
$message = 'Server Error';
break;
default:
$message = 'Unknown';
}
// match equivalent
$message = match ($statusCode) {
200 => 'OK',
404 => 'Not Found',
500 => 'Server Error',
default => 'Unknown',
};
Various Usage Examples:
// multiple conditions
$result = match ($httpCode) {
200, 201, 202 => 'Success',
400, 401, 403 => 'Client Error',
500, 501, 502 => 'Server Error',
default => 'Unknown',
};
// Match uses strict comparison (===)
$result = match ($value) {
0 => 'Integer zero',
'0' => 'String zero',
false => 'Boolean false',
default => 'Other',
};
// Complex Expressions
$age = 25;
$category = match (true) {
$age < 13 => 'Child',
$age < 20 => 'Teenager',
$age < 65 => 'Adult',
default => 'Senior',
};
// returning different types
function processValue($value) {
return match ($value) {
'int' => 42,
'string' => 'Hello World',
'array' => [1, 2, 3],
'bool' => true,
default => null,
};
}
// Using with arrays
$user = [
'role' => 'admin',
'status' => 'active'
];
$permissions = match ($user['role']) {
'admin' => ['read', 'write', 'delete'],
'editor' => ['read', 'write'],
'viewer' => ['read'],
default => [],
};
// nested match expressions
$result = match ($type) {
'number' => match ($value) {
$value > 0 => 'Positive',
$value < 0 => 'Negative',
default => 'Zero',
},
'string' => 'String type',
default => 'Unknown type',
};
// Conditional Logic in Patterns
$score = 85;
$grade = match (true) {
$score >= 90 => 'A',
$score >= 80 => 'B',
$score >= 70 => 'C',
$score >= 60 => 'D',
default => 'F',
};
Advantages Over Switch
- Returns a value - Can be assigned directly to variables
- No fall-through - Prevents accidental bugs
- Strict comparisons - More predictable behavior
- More concise - Less boilerplate code
- Better error handling - Throws UnhandledMatchError for unhandled cases
Important Notes
- Match expressions must be exhaustive or include a default case
- Throws UnhandledMatchError if no pattern matches and no default is provided
- Each arm must be a single expression (use anonymous functions for complex logic)
- Patterns are evaluated in order, first match wins
The match expression is a significant improvement that makes conditional logic more readable, safer, and more expressive in modern PHP code.
Javascript Spread Operator ...
The javascript spread operator ... is a convenient way to insert an array into a second array. Used mainly when defining the array data. Consider the following:
/**** * The x array is placed inside of noSpread as a child array inside. * noSpread array is now ['u', Array(2), 3, 7] ****/
let x = ['a', 2];
let noSpread = ['u', x, 3, 7];/***
* using the spread operator ...x
* the spread array is now ['u', 'a', 2, 5, 6]
***/let x = ['a', 2];let spread = ['u', ...x, 5, 6];
How To Use PHP Late Static Binding
self:: vs static:: in PHP is all about inheritance and late static binding. So what is late static binding. When building a child class there may be a static property that overrides that same static property on the parent. So when extending this class you will potentially need access to the property on both classes. The way to do this is through late static binding. You can use the self:: and static:: operators to accomplish this.
self::
- Refers to the class where the method is defined.
- Does not consider inheritance overrides.
static::
- Refers to the class that is actually called at runtime.
- This is called late static binding.
- Allows child classes to override static properties/methods and still be respected.
Example: self:: vs static::
class Animal {
public static $type = "Generic Animal";
public static function getTypeUsingSelf() {
return self::$type; // bound to Animal
}
public static function getTypeUsingStatic() {
return static::$type; // late static binding
}
}
class Dog extends Animal {
public static $type = "Dog";
}
// ------------------- USAGE -------------------
echo Dog::getTypeUsingSelf(); // Output: Generic Animal
echo "<br>";
echo Dog::getTypeUsingStatic(); // Output: Dog
PHP $this, self and parent operators
Sometimes different aspects of object oriented programming can be a little confusing if you can’t picture a use case for them. Three class operators in PHP where usage can be a little confusing at times are $this, self and parent. In this article I will try to break things down and maybe you can see where you can use this in your code. Ok so let’s begin.
1. $this
- Refers to the current object instance.
- You use $this when you want to access properties or methods of the current object.
Example:
class Animal {
public $name;
public function setName($name) {
$this->name = $name; // "this object’s" name
}
public function getName() {
return $this->name; // returns "this object’s" name
}
}
$dog = new Animal();
$dog->setName("Buddy");
echo $dog->getName(); // Output: Buddy
2. self
- Refers to the current class itself, not the instance.
- Used for static methods and static properties.
- Does not depend on an object ($this is not available in static context).
Example:
class MathHelper {
public static $pi = 3.14159;
public static function circleArea($radius) {
return self::$pi * $radius * $radius; // accessing static property with self
}
}
echo MathHelper::circleArea(5); // Output: 78.53975
3. parent
- Refers to the immediate parent class.
- Used when you want to access a method or constructor from the parent class that is overridden in the child.
Example:
class Animal {
public function makeSound() {
return "Some generic animal sound";
}
}
class Dog extends Animal {
public function makeSound() {
// Call parent method, then add more
return parent::makeSound() . " and Woof!";
}
}
$dog = new Dog();
echo $dog->makeSound(); // Output: Some generic animal sound and Woof!
Now to summarize:
- $this refers to an instance of the class. It isn’t available in a static context, therefore cannot be used within a static class function.
- The self:: operator refers to the class-level property. It is used in a static context and refers to the actual class itself.
- The parent:: operator calls the overridden method from the parent class. It’s used in inheritance typically to call an overwritten method on the parent class.
Here is a really good example that should help you concieve these concepts and clear up any confusion.
class Animal {
public $name;
public static $kingdom = "Animalia";
public function __construct($name) {
$this->name = $name; // instance reference
}
public function describe() {
return "I am an animal named {$this->name}.";
}
public static function getKingdom() {
return "Kingdom: " . self::$kingdom; // static reference
}
}
class Dog extends Animal {
public function describe() {
// Use parent to get base description
$base = parent::describe();
// Add Dog-specific description
return $base . " I am also a dog that says Woof!";
}
public function introduce() {
// `$this` calls instance method
return $this->describe();
}
public static function getInfo() {
// `self` calls static property from this class (or parent if not overridden)
return "Dogs belong to " . self::$kingdom;
}
}
// ------------------- USAGE -------------------
// Create an object
$dog = new Dog("Buddy");
// $this -> instance reference
echo $dog->introduce();
// Output: I am an animal named Buddy. I am also a dog that says Woof!
echo "<br>";
// self -> static reference
echo Dog::getInfo();
// Output: Dogs belong to Animalia
echo "<br>";
// parent -> calling parent method inside child
echo $dog->describe();
// Output: I am an animal named Buddy. I am also a dog that says Woof!
echo "<br>";
// static method from parent
echo Animal::getKingdom();
// Output: Kingdom: Animalia