Laravel 8 is Now Released!

Published on by

Laravel 8 is Now Released! image

Laravel 8 is now released and includes many new features including Laravel Jetstream, a models directory, model factory classes, migration squashing, rate-limiting improvements, time testing helpers, dynamic blade components, and many more features.

Before we jump into the new features, we’d like to point out that starting with version 6, Laravel now follows semver and will release a new major version every six months. You can see how the release process works here.

Laravel Jetstream

Laravel Jetstream improves upon the existing Laravel UI scaffolding found in previous versions. It provides a starting point for new projects, including login, registration, email verification, two-factor authentication, session management, API support via Laravel, and team management.

Models Directory

Laravel 8’s application skeleton includes an app/Models directory. All generator commands assume models exist in app/Models; however if this directory doesn’t exist, the framework will assume the application keeps models within the app/ folder.

Model Factory Classes

Eloquent model factories are now class-based starting in Laravel 8, with improved support for relationships between factories (i.e., a user has many posts). I think you’ll agree how awesome the new syntax is for generating records via the new and improved model factories:

use App\Models\User;
 
User::factory()->count(50)->create();
 
// using a model state "suspended" defined within the factory class
User::factory()->count(5)->suspended()->create();

Migration Squashing

If your application contains many migration files, you can now squash them into a single SQL file. This file will be executed first when running migrations, followed by any remaining migration files that are not part of the squashed schema file. Squashing existing migrations can decrease migration file bloat and possibly improve performance while running tests.

Improved Rate Limiting

Laravel 8 brings improvements to existing rate limiting functionality while supporting backward compatibility with the existing throttle middleware and offering far more flexibility. Laravel 8 has the concept of Rate Limiters that you can define via a facade:

use Illuminate\Cache\RateLimiting\Limit;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\RateLimiter;
 
RateLimiter::for('global', function (Request $request) {
return Limit::perMinute(1000);
});

As you can see, the for() method takes the HTTP request instance, giving you full control over limiting requests dynamically.

Time Testing Helpers

Laravel users have enjoyed full control over time modification via the excellent Carbon PHP library. Laravel 8 brings this one step further by providing convenient test helpers for manipulating the time within tests:

// Travel into the future...
$this->travel(5)->milliseconds();
$this->travel(5)->seconds();
$this->travel(5)->minutes();
$this->travel(5)->hours();
$this->travel(5)->days();
$this->travel(5)->weeks();
$this->travel(5)->years();
 
// Travel into the past...
$this->travel(-5)->hours();
 
// Travel to an exact time...
$this->travelTo(now()->subHours(6));
 
// Return back to the present time...
$this->travelBack();

When using these methods, the time will reset between each test.

Dynamic Blade Components

Sometimes you need to render a blade component dynamically at runtime. Laravel 8 provides the <x-dynamic-component/> to render the component:

<x-dynamic-component :component="$componentName" class="mt-4" />

Find out more about Laravel v8…

These are just a few of the new features in Laravel 8 and to see a complete list check out the Laravel 8 release notes as well as the upgrade guide. Also, don’t forget about Laravel Shift if you want an easy way of updating.

Taylor also gave a walkthrough of some of these features at Laracon Online and, you can still purchase a ticket if you’d like to see that. Also, Laracasts: What’s New in Laravel 8 series can help you get up-to-speed with new features in this release.

As with all releases, Laravel is made possible by so many people and, we’d like to thank everyone that contributes, that submits PR’s, that shares ideas, and that uses the framework. Laravel is truly a global team effort.

Paul Redmond photo

Full stack web developer. Author of Lumen Programming Guide and Docker for PHP Developers.

Cube

Laravel Newsletter

Join 40k+ other developers and never miss out on new tips, tutorials, and more.

image
Laravel Forge

Easily create and manage your servers and deploy your Laravel applications in seconds.

Visit Laravel Forge
Kirschbaum logo

Kirschbaum

Providing innovation and stability to ensure your web application succeeds.

Kirschbaum
Shift logo

Shift

Running an old Laravel version? Instant, automated Laravel upgrades and code modernization to keep your applications fresh.

Shift
Bacancy logo

Bacancy

Supercharge your project with a seasoned Laravel developer with 4-6 years of experience for just $2500/month. Get 160 hours of dedicated expertise & a risk-free 15-day trial. Schedule a call now!

Bacancy
LoadForge logo

LoadForge

Easy, affordable load testing and stress tests for websites, APIs and databases.

LoadForge
Paragraph logo

Paragraph

Manage your Laravel app as if it was a CMS – edit any text on any page or in any email without touching Blade or language files.

Paragraph
Lucky Media logo

Lucky Media

Bespoke software solutions built for your business. Partner with Lucky Media, your favorite Laravel Development Agency!

Lucky Media
Lunar: Laravel E-Commerce logo

Lunar: Laravel E-Commerce

E-Commerce for Laravel. An open-source package that brings the power of modern headless e-commerce functionality to Laravel.

Lunar: Laravel E-Commerce
Laravel Forge logo

Laravel Forge

Easily create and manage your servers and deploy your Laravel applications in seconds.

Laravel Forge
Oh Dear logo

Oh Dear

Oh Dear is the best all-in-one monitoring tool for all your Laravel apps.

Oh Dear
Tinkerwell logo

Tinkerwell

The must-have code runner for Laravel developers. Tinker with AI, autocompletion and instant feedback on local and production environments.

Tinkerwell

The latest

View all →
Get insights into all your Laravel notifications with Paragraphs new package image

Get insights into all your Laravel notifications with Paragraphs new package

Read article
FrankenPHP v1.0 is Here image

FrankenPHP v1.0 is Here

Read article
Self-healing URLs in Laravel image

Self-healing URLs in Laravel

Read article
Laravel 10.35 Released image

Laravel 10.35 Released

Read article
Solve n+1 queries in PHP with Scout APM image

Solve n+1 queries in PHP with Scout APM

Read article
Show Outdated Composer Dependencies in Laravel Pulse image

Show Outdated Composer Dependencies in Laravel Pulse

Read article