How to add simple view other than Crud to Laravel Backpack

2 min read 05-10-2024

How to add simple view other than Crud to Laravel Backpack

Beyond CRUD: Adding Custom Views to Laravel Backpack

Laravel Backpack is a powerful admin panel framework that simplifies CRUD operations for your applications. However, there are times when you need to go beyond the standard CRUD functionality and create custom views for specific needs. This article will guide you through the process of adding simple, non-CRUD views to your Laravel Backpack application.

The Problem: Going Beyond CRUD

Imagine you're building an e-commerce application with Laravel Backpack. You need a dedicated page to showcase your top-selling products or offer special promotions. Backpack's CRUD functionality won't suffice for this, as it's designed for managing data records. You need a custom view to display this specific information in an engaging way.

The Solution: Custom Views in Backpack

While Backpack excels in CRUD operations, it provides a flexible framework for extending its functionality with custom views. Let's explore a practical example:

Scenario: We want to create a page in our Backpack admin panel that displays a list of our top-selling products.

Original Code (Without Custom View):

// In your Controller
public function topSellingProducts()
{
    $topProducts = Product::orderBy('sales_count', 'desc')->take(5)->get();

    return view('backpack::dashboard'); // Displays default dashboard
}

Adding a Custom View:

Create a new view file:
- In your resources/views/vendor/backpack/ directory, create a new file named top-selling-products.blade.php.

Populate the view file:

Inside the view file, define the layout and content for your top-selling products page. For example:

@extends('backpack::layout')

@section('content')
    <div class="container">
        <h1>Top Selling Products</h1>
        <ul>
            @foreach ($topProducts as $product)
                <li>{{ $product->name }}</li>
            @endforeach
        </ul>
    </div>
@endsection

Update your Controller:

In your topSellingProducts method, return the new custom view:

public function topSellingProducts()
{
    $topProducts = Product::orderBy('sales_count', 'desc')->take(5)->get();

    return view('vendor.backpack.top-selling-products', compact('topProducts'));
}

Create a Route:

Route::get('/top-selling-products', [App\Http\Controllers\YourController::class, 'topSellingProducts']);

Access the new page:
- In your Backpack admin panel, you'll now have a new link to access the "Top Selling Products" page.

Analyzing the Solution

This example demonstrates the core principles of adding custom views to Backpack:

Separate views: Keep your custom views organized in a designated directory.
Pass data: Use the compact() function to pass data to your view for rendering.
Define routes: Register routes for your custom views to make them accessible.
Extend Backpack's layout: Leverage Backpack's existing layout for a consistent look and feel.

Key Benefits of Custom Views

Targeted content: Create pages tailored to specific requirements beyond CRUD operations.
Enhanced user experience: Offer engaging and informative views tailored to user needs.
Flexible development: Extend Backpack's functionality with custom views for diverse scenarios.

Further Exploration

For more complex custom views, consider using Backpack's crud methods for data retrieval and manipulation:

public function topSellingProducts()
{
    $topProducts = \CRUD::model('App\Models\Product')->orderBy('sales_count', 'desc')->take(5)->get();

    return view('vendor.backpack.top-selling-products', compact('topProducts'));
}

By understanding the basics of custom views, you can significantly expand Backpack's functionality and create a truly customized admin panel for your Laravel applications.