Building Two Custom Cabinets with Laravel Backpack 6: A Step-by-Step Guide
The Problem: You're working on a Laravel application and need to create two distinct admin interfaces, each with its own set of CRUD operations for different database tables. You want to leverage Backpack 6's powerful features and streamline the development process.
Solution: This article will guide you through creating two custom cabinets in your Laravel Backpack 6 application, each tailored to specific database tables. We'll cover the essential steps, configurations, and best practices to achieve this.
Understanding the Scenario
Imagine you're building an online store. You need two separate admin dashboards: one for managing products and another for managing orders. You'll utilize Backpack 6's modularity to create two unique cabinets, each with its own set of CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) tailored to their respective database tables.
Setting the Stage: Your Laravel Backpack 6 Project
Assuming you have a Laravel Backpack 6 project set up, let's dive into the steps:
1. Creating Your Cabinets
- Navigate to your
app/Http/Controllers/Admindirectory. - Create two new controller classes, for example,
ProductController.phpandOrderController.php.
2. Defining Your Backpack Routes
- Open your
app/Http/Controllers/Admin/BaseController.php. - Define new routes for each cabinet using the
backpack_routehelper function:
use Backpack\CRUD\app\Http\Controllers\CrudController;
class ProductController extends CrudController
{
public function setup()
{
$this->crud->setModel('App\Models\Product'); // Define the model
$this->crud->setRoute('admin/products'); // Set the route
$this->crud->setEntityNameStrings('product', 'products'); // Set singular and plural entity names
}
// ... (Implement CRUD operations)
}
class OrderController extends CrudController
{
public function setup()
{
$this->crud->setModel('App\Models\Order');
$this->crud->setRoute('admin/orders');
$this->crud->setEntityNameStrings('order', 'orders');
}
// ... (Implement CRUD operations)
}
3. Implementing CRUD Operations
- Within each controller, you'll define the
setup()method, which is where you configure Backpack's CRUD functionality. - Define fields, relationships, and other customization options using Backpack's API.
// In ProductController.php
public function setup()
{
// ... (setup as above)
$this->crud->addFields([
[
'name' => 'name',
'type' => 'text',
'label' => 'Product Name',
],
[
'name' => 'description',
'type' => 'textarea',
'label' => 'Description',
],
// ... (add more fields)
]);
}
4. Linking Your Cabinets to Backpack Menu
- Open your
app/Http/Controllers/Admin/Operations/MenuOperation.phpfile. - Add new menu items for your cabinets, linking them to the respective routes defined earlier:
// In MenuOperation.php
public function setup()
{
$this->addMenuItem([
'title' => '<i class="fas fa-shopping-cart"></i> Products',
'url' => backpack_url('admin/products'),
'icon' => 'fas fa-shopping-cart',
]);
$this->addMenuItem([
'title' => '<i class="fas fa-truck"></i> Orders',
'url' => backpack_url('admin/orders'),
'icon' => 'fas fa-truck',
]);
// ... (add more menu items)
}
5. Accessing Your Cabinets
- After configuring your routes and menu items, you can now access your new cabinets through the Backpack admin interface.
- You will find separate entries in the sidebar menu for 'Products' and 'Orders', each leading to their dedicated dashboards.
Additional Tips and Considerations
- Security: Implement proper authorization and authentication to restrict access to your cabinets and sensitive data.
- Customizations: Utilize Backpack's extensive customization options to tailor your cabinets' appearance and functionality to your specific needs.
- Testing: Thoroughly test your CRUD operations and functionality to ensure they are working as expected.
Example: To display a related order information within the 'Products' cabinet, you could implement a custom field using Backpack's 'relationship' type. This would enable you to view and manage associated orders directly within the product details.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you've successfully created two distinct custom cabinets within your Laravel Backpack 6 application, each with its own CRUD functionality. This modular approach ensures a streamlined and efficient development process, allowing you to manage different parts of your application independently. Remember to leverage Backpack's extensive features and resources to enhance your cabinets further and optimize your development workflow.
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