Starting with Laravel 11: Working with HTTP Client

Laravel provides a powerful HTTP Client for making API requests, simplifying the process of sending and receiving data from external services.

In this blog post, we will explore different HTTP methods, sending requests with query parameters and JSON data, and handling API responses.

1. Understanding HTTP Methods

When interacting with APIs, different HTTP methods are used based on the type of request:

GET – Retrieve data from an API
POST – Send data to an API to create a new record
PUT – Update an existing record
DELETE – Remove data from an API
PATCH – Partially update a record
OPTIONS – Check available methods on the API
HEAD – Fetch headers without retrieving the full response body

2. Sending API Requests in Laravel

To make API requests, Laravel provides the Http facade. Before using it, ensure you have imported it at the top of your controller: use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;

3. Fetching Data Using GET Request

Let’s create a controller that retrieves user data from an API and displays it in a Blade view.

Step 1: Create a Controller

Run the following Artisan command to create a controller: php artisan make:controller UserController

Then, open app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php and modify it as follows:

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;

class UserController extends Controller
{
    public function fetchUsers()
    {
        // Fetch data from API
        $response = Http::get('https://dummyjson.com/users');
        
        // Convert response to an array
        $data = $response->json();
        
        // Pass data to view
        return view('users', ['users' => $data['users']]);
    }
}

Step 2: Define a Route

In routes/web.php, add a route to call the fetchUsers method:

use App\Http\Controllers\UserController;

Route::get('/users', [UserController::class, 'fetchUsers']);

Step 3: Create a Blade View

Now, create a Step 2: Define a Route

In routes/web.php, add a route to call the fetchUsers method:

use App\Http\Controllers\UserController;

Route::get('/users', [UserController::class, 'fetchUsers']);

Blade file resources/views/users.blade.php to display the users in a table:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>User List</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h2>User List</h2>
    <table border="1">
        <tr>
            <th>ID</th>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th>Email</th>
        </tr>
        @foreach($users as $user)
        <tr>
            <td>{{ $user['id'] }}</td>
            <td>{{ $user['firstName'] }} {{ $user['lastName'] }}</td>
            <td>{{ $user['email'] }}</td>
        </tr>
        @endforeach
    </table>
</body>
</html>

4. Sending Data Using POST Request

To save data through an API, we use the POST method. Here’s an example:

$response = Http::post('https://dummyjson.com/users/add', [
    'firstName' => 'John',
    'lastName' => 'Doe',
    'email' => 'john.doe@example.com'
]);

$data = $response->json();

5. Deleting Data Using DELETE Request

To delete a user, use the DELETE method:

$response = Http::delete('https://dummyjson.com/users/1');

$data = $response->json();

Conclusion

Laravel’s HTTP Client makes API communication seamless. In this guide, we covered:

Various HTTP methods
Fetching data using GET
Displaying API data in a Blade template
Sending data using POST
Deleting data using DELETE

With these techniques, you can integrate external APIs into your Laravel applications efficiently!