Laravel as Backend

Introduction

The Laravel backend is the cornerstone of Bowlerplate, providing a feature-rich, scalable, and secure API for your Flutter application. It leverages the latest Laravel version along with professional-grade tools like Filament for admin management and Sanctum for authentication.

Core Features

Out of the box, the Laravel backend provides:

• Robust Authentication: Email/Password login, registration, and Google OAuth integration via Sanctum.
• Admin Dashboard: A beautiful, auto-generated admin panel using Filament v4 for managing users, content, and system settings.
• RBAC (Role-Based Access Control): Granular permissions and roles managed through spatie/laravel-permission and filament-shield.
• Help Center System: Complete infrastructure for FAQs, multi-language Help Center items, and Customer Feedback with anti-spam protection.
• Notification Engine: Support for Push Notifications (Firebase), Database Notifications, and Broadcasts.
• Security Suite: Built-in login logging, session management, and account deletion protocols.
• Developer First: Fully typed API Resources, Form Requests for validation, and a comprehensive test suite using Pest.

Directory Structure

Here is an overview of the backend organization:

backend/laravel/
├── app/
│   ├── Filament/          # Admin panel resources and schemas
│   ├── Http/
│   │   ├── Controllers/   # API V1 Controllers
│   │   ├── Middleware/    # Custom logic (Role checks, Spam prevention)
│   │   └── Resources/     # Standardized JSON API responses
│   └── Models/            # Eloquent models (User, Faq, Feedback, etc.)
├── database/
│   ├── migrations/        # Database schema definitions
│   └── seeders/           # Initial data (Admin user, Roles, FAQs)
├── routes/
│   ├── api.php            # Primary API endpoints (prefixed with v1)
│   └── web.php            # Web-side routes (Admin panel access)
└── tests/                 # Feature and Unit tests

Getting Started

1. Requirements

Ensure you have the following installed:

• PHP 8.2+
• Composer
• Bun (or Node.js)
• SQLite (default) or MySQL/PostgreSQL

2. Setup

Navigate to backend/laravel and run:

cp .env.example .env
composer install
php artisan key:generate
php artisan migrate --seed
bun install && bun run build

The seeder will create a default super admin:

• Email: admin@example.com
• Password: password

3. Development Server

Run the simplified development command:

composer run dev

API Architecture

Versioning

All API routes are versioned under /api/v1/. This allows you to introduce breaking changes in the future without affecting existing mobile app installs.

Authentication

We use Laravel Sanctum with custom abilities. When a user logs in, they receive a plainTextToken that must be included in the Authorization: Bearer <token> header for all protected requests.

Permissions

Permissions are tied to Sanctum token abilities. For example, to update a profile, the token must have the user:update ability.

Admin Panel (Filament)

Accessible at /admin, the Filament dashboard allows you to:

• Manage Users: View profiles, login history, and active sessions.
• Broadcast Notifications: Send push notifications to specific users or broadcast to all.
• Content Management: Update FAQs and Help Center items in real-time.
• Monitor System: Access Laravel Telescope for debugging and performance monitoring.

Testing

Reliability is key. We follow the "Test Everything" rule using Pest.

To run tests:

php artisan test

Currently, we cover:

• Authentication flows (Login/Register/Google)
• User preference management
• Notification delivery
• Help center accessibility

Next Steps

Now that your backend is ready, proceed to the Mobile Setup to connect your Flutter app.