Handling RESTful API requests with Laravel PHP Framework resource controllers is already very easy. With Laravel 5, handling request routing has been made even easier by using a configuration-as-annotation approach. Controller annotations may take advantage of doc block-style syntax and then be compiled using Laravel's artisan command-line tool. I'll present this approach by providing a few examples and discussing some of the pros and cons.

1. /**
* @Building("RESTful APIs", in Laravel 5:
* Doc Block Controller Annotations)
*
* @author: Christopher Pecoraro
*/
PHP UK Conference
2015

2. <?= 'About me' ?>
$I->usePHPSince('2001');
$I->wasBornIn('Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania');
$I->liveIn('Palermo, Italy')->since('2009');

3. Annotation
An annotation is metadata… ...attached to
text, image, or [other] data.
-Wikipedia

4. meta + data
"meta" (Greek): transcending, encompassing
"data" (Latin): pieces of information

5. the amanuensis
1200 C.E.
Benedictine monks
Annotations the Real World

6. Java 1.2
/**
* @author Jon Doe <jon@doe.com>
* @version 1.6 (current version number)
* @since 2010-03-31 (version package...)
*/
public void speak() {
}
Doc Block Annotations

7. Java 1.6
public class Animal {
public void speak() {
}
}
public class Cat extends Animal {
@Override
public void speak() {
System.out.println("Meow.");
}
}
Doc Block Annotations

8. Behat
/**
* @BeforeSuite
*/
public static function prepare(SuiteEvent $event)
{
// prepare system for test suite
// before it runs
}
Doc-Block Annotations

9. Annotations in PHP
Frameworks
Zend
Symfony
Typo3
TDD/BDD
Behat
PHPUnit
ORM
Doctrine

10. For more details, check out:
"Annotations in PHP, They exist"
Rafael Dohms
http://doh.ms/talk/list

11. Version Min. Version Release Date
4.0 PHP 5.3 May, 2013
4.1 PHP 5.3 November, 2013
4.2 PHP 5.4 (traits) May, 2014
4.3 PHP 5.4 November, 2014
Laravel
4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.0
20142013

12. Laravel 5.0
Released February 4th, 2015

13. Laravel
version 4.2
/app
/commands
/config
/controllers
/database
/models
/storage
/tests
routes.php

14. Laravel
version 5.0.3
/app
/config
/database
/public
/storage
/tests
gulpfile.js
phpspec.yml
version 4.2
/app
/commands
/config
/controllers
/database
/models
/storage
/tests
routes.php

15. version 4.2
/app
/commands
/config
/controllers
/database
/models
/storage
/tests
routes.php
Laravel
version 5.0.3
/app
/Http
/controllers
routes.php

16. Route Annotations in Laravel
Raison d'être:
routes.php can get to be really, really, really huge.
Route::patch('hotel/{hid}/room/{rid}','HotelController@editRoom');
Route::post('hotel/{hid}/room/{rid}','HotelController@reserve');
Route::get('hotel/stats,HotelController@Stats');
Route::resource('country', 'CountryController');
Route::resource(city', 'CityController');
Route::resource('state', 'StateController');
Route::resource('amenity', 'AmenitiyController');
Route::resource('country', 'CountryController');
Route::resource(city', 'CityController');
Route::resource('country', 'CountryController');
Route::resource('city', 'CityController');
Route::resource('horse', 'HorseController');
Route::resource('cow', 'CowController');
Route::resource('zebra', 'ZebraController');
Route::get('dragon/{id}', 'DragonController@show');
Route::resource('giraffe', 'GiraffeController');
Route::resource('zebrafish', 'ZebrafishController');
Route::get('zebras/{id}', 'ZebraController@show');

17. Route Annotations in Laravel
"...an experiment in framework-
agnostic controllers."
-Taylor Otwell

19. Maintains Laravel components removed from the core framework:
■ Route & Event Annotations
■ Form & HTML Builder
■ The Remote (SSH) Component

20. 1. Require package via composer.
Installation Procedure
$ composer require laravelcollective/annotations

21. 2. Create AnnotationsServiceProvider.php
Installation Procedure
<?php namespace AppProviders;
use CollectiveAnnotationsAnnotationsServiceProvider as ServiceProvider;
class AnnotationsServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider {
/**
* The classes to scan for event annotations.
* @var array
*/
protected $scanEvents = [];

22. 3. Add AnnotationsServiceProvider.php to config/app.php
Installation Procedure
'providers' => [
// ...
'AppProvidersAnnotationsServiceProvider'
];

23. User Story:
As a hotel website user,
I want to search for a hotel
so that I can reserve a room.

24. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
artisan command-line tool:
Laravel’s command line interface tool for basic
development-related tasks:
● Perform migrations
● Create resource controllers
● Many repetitious tasks

25. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
$ php artisan make:controller HotelsController
1: Create a hotel controller.

26. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
2: Add controller to annotation service provider's routes.
protected $scanRoutes = [
'AppHttpControllersHomeController',
'AppHttpControllersHotelsController'
];

27. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
3: Add resource annotation to hotel controller.
<?php namespace AppHttpControllers;
use ...
/**
* @Resource("/hotels")
*/
class HotelsController extends Controller {
public function index()
{
}
// Laravel 5.0 standard
Route::resource('hotels','HotelsController');

28. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
Double quotes are required:
@Resource('/hotels')
@Resource("/hotels")

29. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
4: Add search method to handle GET.
class HotelsController extends Controller {
public function index()
{
}
/**
* Search for a hotel
* @Get("/hotels/search")
*/
public function search()
{
}
// Laravel 5.0 standard
Route::get('hotels/search',HotelsController@search');

30. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
$ php artisan route:scan
Routes scanned!
5: Use artisan to scan routes.

31. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
$router->get('search', [
'uses' => 'AppHttpControllersHotelsController@search',
'as' => NULL,
'middleware' => [],
'where' => [],
'domain' => NULL,
]);
Writes to: storage/framework/routes.scanned.php

32. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
storage/framework/routes.scanned.php
does not get put into source code control.

33. Edit AnnotationsServiceProvider.php to scan when local.
(Optional) shortcut for 'Local'
protected $scanRoutes = [
'AppHttpControllersHotelsController',
];
protected $scanWhenLocal = true;

34. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
Show the hotel that we are interested in.
<?php namespace AppHttpControllers;
use …
/**
* @Resource("/hotels",except={"show"})
*/
class HotelsController extends Controller {
/**
* Display the specified resource.
* @Get("/hotels/{id}") // or @Get("/hotels/{id}",where={"id": "d+"})
* @Where({"id": "d+"})
*/
public function show($id)
{
}
// Laravel 5.0 standard
Route::get('hotels/{id}','HotelsController@show')
->where(['id' => '[d+]']);

35. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
1. Create the ReservationsController.
$ php artisan make:controller ReservationsController

36. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
2. Add a POST route annotation and auth Middleware.
<?php namespace AppHttpControllers;
use ...
class ReservationsController extends Controller {
/**
* @Post("/bookRoom")
* @Middleware("auth")
*/
public function reserve()
{
}
// Laravel 5.0 standard
Route::post('/bookRoom','ReservationsController@reserve',
['middleware' => 'auth']);

37. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
3. Limit requests to valid url.
<?php namespace AppHttpControllers;
use …
/**
* @Controller(domain="booking.hotelwebsite.com")
*/
class ReservationsController extends Controller {
/**
* @Post("/bookRoom")
* @Middleware("auth")
*/
public function reserve()
{
//Laravel 5.0 standard
Route::post('/bookRoom','ReservationsController@reserve',
['middleware' => 'auth', 'domain'=>'booking.hotelwebsite.
com']);

38. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
4. Create the ReserveRoom command.
$ php artisan make:command ReserveRoom

39. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
(Contents of the ReserveRoom Command)
<?php namespace AppCommands;
use ...
class ReserveRoom extends Command implements SelfHandling {
public function __construct()
{
}
/**
* Execute the command.
*/
public function handle()
{
}
}

40. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
5. Create new ReserveRoom for Reservation Controller
<?php namespace AppHttpControllers;
use ...
class ReservationsController extends Controller {
/**
* @Post("/bookRoom")
* @Middleware("auth")
*/
public function reserve()
{
$this->dispatch(
new ReserveRoom(Auth::user(),$start_date,$end_date,$rooms)
);
}

41. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
6. Create RoomWasReserved Event.
$ php artisan make:event RoomWasReserved

42. <?php namespace AppCommands;
use AppCommandsCommand;
use IlluminateContractsBusSelfHandling;
class ReserveRoom extends Command implements SelfHandling {
public function __construct(User $user, $start_date, $end_date, $rooms)
{
}
public function handle()
{
$reservation = Reservation::createNew();
event(new RoomWasReserved($reservation));
}
}
RESTful API creation in a nutshell
7. Fire RoomWasReserved event from ReserveRoom handler.

43. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
8. Create Email Sender handler for RoomWasReserved event.
$ php artisan handler:event RoomReservedEmail --event=RoomWasReserved

44. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
9. Create SendEmail handler for RoomWasReserved event.
<?php namespace AppHandlersEvents;
use ...
class RoomReservedEmail {
public function __construct()
{
}
/**
* Handle the event.
* @Hears("AppEventsRoomWasReserved")
* @param RoomWasReserved $event
*/
public function handle(RoomWasReserved $event)
{
}
}
Laravel 5.0 standard
Event::listen
('AppEventsRoomWasReserved','AppHand
lersEventsRoomReservedEmail@handle');
');

45. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
protected $scanEvents = [
'AppHandlersEventsRoomReservedEmail'
];
10: add RoomReservedEmail to scanEvents array.

46. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
$ php artisan event:scan
Events scanned!
11: Use artisan to scan events.

47. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
<?php $events->listen(array(0 => 'AppEventsRoomWasReserved',
), AppHandlersEventsRoomReservedEmail@handle');
(Output of storage/framework/events.scanned.php)

48. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
storage/framework/events.scanned.php
storage/framework/routes.scanned.php
(Final view of scanned annotation files)

49. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
Laravel 4:
HTTP request
Router
Controller

50. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
Laravel 5's command-bus + pub-sub pathway:
HTTP request
Router
Controller
Command
Event
Handler

51. Caveat: Laravel's route caching
$ php artisan route:cache
Route cache cleared!
Routes cached successfully!
Uses artisan to cache routes (not to scan).

52. Caveat: Laravel's route caching
$ php artisan route:scan
Routes scanned!
$ php artisan route:cache
Route cache cleared!
Routes cached successfully!
route:scan must be executed before route:cache.

53. Caveat: Laravel's route caching
<?php
app('router')->setRoutes(
unserialize(base64_decode('TzozNDoiSWxsdW1pbmF0ZVxSb3V0aW5nXFd…'))
);
Writes to: storage/framework/routes.php

54. Caveat: Laravel's route caching
$ php artisan route:scan
/storage/framework/routes.scanned.php
$ php artisan route:cache
/storage/framework/routes.php
Both files will be created, but only the compiled
routes.php file is used until php artisan route:
scan is run again.

55. RESTful API creation in a nutshell
storage/framework/events.scanned.php // scanned
storage/framework/routes.scanned.php // scanned
storage/framework/routes.php // cached, if exists, this
// will be used
(Final view of scanned and cached annotation files)

56. Available annotations
HTTP verbs:
@Delete
@Get
@Options
@Patch
@Post
@Put
Other:
@Any
@Controller
@Middleware
@Route
@Where
@Resource