Laravel¹ is a PHP 5.3 web application framework written by Taylor Otwell². It was written with
PHP 5.3 features in mind. The combination of these features and its very expressive syntax has
led to the framework gaining in popularity.
In this book we will be exploring Laravel from the ground up starting with its installation, which
I am sure you will agree is a breeze.
In order to use any PHP Framework (not just Laravel) you will need to have a PHP enabled web
server, I would recommend installing a web server on your local development machine, to allow
you to test your work without needing to upload your files each time you make a change.
This chapter makes the following assumptions:
• You have a working Apache-based web server with PHP5.3+.
• You are familiar with the server’s file system, and how to move / copy files.
• You have access to modify Apache configuration files.
If you are using a different web server, you will be able to find many articles on-line on how to
accomplish the tasks found below for your server.
First we will need a copy of the framework’s source code, simply head over to Laravel.com³
and hit the big orange download button. For added security, I would recommend extracting the
contents of the package to somewhere other than your web root. Make a mental note of where
you extracted the source to (or find a sticky note!).
We now have two options to allow the framework to execute as expected, I would advise trying
the first method as it is the “real” way of installing the framework and will allow us to specify a
more thorough configuration. However I find the second method much quicker when working
with many projects on a development server.