Connecting Laravel With WordPress

 In this article, we’ll learn about Laravel and how it can be used alongside WordPress. Laravel framework is one of the most popular PHP framework available and WordPress is the best Content Management System  they both can be can be integrated with each other to bring out the best of both worlds. This combination can enable you to manage your web application development through the WordPress back end, offering a more streamlined workflow. 

A Little bit About Laravel

As discussed before Laravel is a popular PHP framework. A framework can help speed up the web application development process. It provides a basic structure, and can help promote rapid application development (RAD) and avoid repetitive coding processes.Additionally, using a framework like Laravel can also help developers of all levels build more stable applications, by ensuring the use of proper syntax and database interactions. If you’re new to PHP frameworks, you might want to familiarize yourself with a few important terms, including: 

• Model View Controller (MVC). This is an architectural structure that separates the three components of PHP development: the Model, the View, and the Controller. This means a developer can isolate each part and make changes without impacting the other components. 
• Object-Oriented Programming. In an object-oriented programming approach, such as PHP, structures are built with data or ‘Objects’, rather than function and logic. They can then be used throughout the program. Each Object has Properties and Behaviors that define its state and what it can do.
• REST API. This is an architectural style used by most open-source web applications to form a workable exchange of information.
• Composer. This is a tool used to manage the dependencies in your project. You can tell Composer what libraries your project requires, and Composer will monitor, install, and update them to ensure that your program will continue to function.  

Integrating Laravel with WordPress can be accomplished by using a more hands-on and manual approach, followed by a specialized plugin.

Using WordPress Corcel

Corcel is a set of PHP Model classes that enable programmers to retrieve and use information directly from WordPress. It can function as a bridge between WordPress and Laravel.By installing Corcel, you’ll be able to use WordPress as the back-end administration of your project for inserting data, such as posts or custom post types, into your Laravel application. 

Step 1: Install Corcel

To get started with Corcel, you’ll need to use Composer to install it. You can find and download Corcel on GitHub. In your terminal application, you’ll then need to execute the following command: 

composer require jgrossi/corcel

After that, you’ll want to jump into your Laravel installation and configure a few settings. 

Step 2: Configure Laravel for Corcel

If you’re running Laravel 5.5 or later, Corcel will register itself with Laravel’s AutoDiscovery function.For older versions of Laravel, you’ll need to manually register Corcel and publish the configuration file using the following Artisan command in your terminal application: 

php artisan vendor:publish
--provider="Corcel\Laravel\CorcelServiceProvider"

You’ll now have a config/corcel.php file that you can use to establish a database connection with WordPress. 

Step 3: Set Up Database Connection

Once your config/corcel.php has been created, you’ll open it to set up connections to your WordPress database. This is what enables Laravel to retrieve post information and other items from your WordPress database tables. Whatever database name you provide in your config/database.php file is what you’ll need to insert in your config/corcel.php file. This will enable Laravel and Corcel to use your WordPress database.

Step 4: Set Your Project Parameters

There are a wide variety of ways you can use your new integration. You’ll need to refer to the documentation to determine how to set the parameters. This will enable you to establish connections for posts, custom post types, shortcodes, taxonomies, custom fields, and more.