There it is: Laravel 9

Hey guys… It’s been a month since my last post—time flies, right? Life got a bit busy, but now I’m back, and I have something exciting to talk about: Laravel 9. If you’re working with Laravel, you might be wondering what’s new in this version and whether it’s time to upgrade. Let’s dive in!!!

What’s New in Laravel 9?

Laravel 9 brings several improvements and updates compared to Laravel 8. Here are some of the key changes:

  • Minimum PHP Requirement: Laravel 9 requires PHP 8. This means you’ll need to update your PHP version if you haven’t already.
  • Improved Eloquent Accessors & Mutators: Now you can define accessors and mutators using a cleaner syntax.
  • Symfony Mailer: Laravel 9 now uses Symfony Mailer instead of SwiftMailer, which was deprecated.
  • Better Route Listing: The route:list command now provides a more readable output.
  • Performance Improvements: Laravel 9 includes optimizations for better speed and efficiency.

Should I Upgrade My Application to Laravel 9?

Upgrading your Laravel application depends on a few factors:

✅ You should upgrade if:

  • Your project relies on the latest features and improvements.
  • You want to keep your application up to date and secure.
  • You’re already using PHP 8 or can upgrade easily.

⚠️ You may want to wait if:

  • Your application depends on packages that haven’t been updated for Laravel 9 yet.
  • You don’t have the time to test and fix potential breaking changes.

How to Upgrade to Laravel 9

If you decide to upgrade, follow these steps:

  1. Check Your PHP Version

    php -v

    Make sure you’re using PHP 8.

  2. Update Your Dependencies In your composer.json, update the Laravel version:

    "require": {
    "laravel/framework": "^9.0"
}

    Then run:

    composer update

  3. Check for Deprecated Features Review the Laravel upgrade guide to ensure your application doesn’t use deprecated methods.

  4. Test Everything Run your test suite and check if your application works as expected before deploying.

Conclusion

Laravel 9 brings great improvements, but upgrading depends on your project’s needs. If you can, keeping your application updated is always a good practice for security and performance.

Are you planning to upgrade to Laravel 9?