Project Title

A full-stack web application built with Laravel as the backend API and Next.js as the frontend application.

The project follows a separated frontend/backend architecture, providing scalable API-driven communication between Laravel and Next.js.

🚀 Features

• Laravel Backend: RESTful APIs, business logic, authentication, database management, and server-side processing.
• Next.js Frontend: Responsive UI, routing, server/client-side rendering, and API integration.
• Authentication & Authorization: Secure user authentication and role/permission-based access where applicable.
• Database Management: Laravel migrations, seeders, and Eloquent ORM.
• API Integration: Structured communication between the Next.js frontend and Laravel backend.
• Validation & Error Handling: Backend and frontend validation with standardized API responses.
• Testing: Automated backend and frontend test coverage.
• Scalable Architecture: Modular structure designed for future feature enhancements.

---

🛠️ Technology Stack

Backend

• PHP >= 8.2
• Laravel
• MySQL
• Composer
• Laravel Sanctum / Authentication (if applicable)

Frontend

• Node.js >= 20
• Next.js
• React
• TypeScript
• npm

Development Tools

• Git
• GitHub
• Postman / API testing tool
• VS Code or equivalent IDE

---

📁 Project Structure

project-root/
│
├── backend/                 # Laravel API
│   ├── app/
│   ├── bootstrap/
│   ├── config/
│   ├── database/
│   ├── routes/
│   ├── storage/
│   ├── tests/
│   ├── .env
│   └── composer.json
│
├── frontend/                # Next.js application
│   ├── app/                 # or pages/
│   ├── components/
│   ├── public/
│   ├── lib/
│   ├── services/
│   ├── tests/
│   ├── .env.local
│   └── package.json
│
├── README.md
└── .gitignore

---

🚀 Getting Started

Follow the steps below to set up the project locally.

Prerequisites

Make sure the following are installed:

• PHP >= 8.2
• Composer >= 2.x
• MySQL >= 8.x
• Node.js >= 20.x
• npm >= 10.x
• Git

Verify your installation:

php -v
composer -V
mysql --version
node -v
npm -v
git --version

---

🔧 Backend Setup – Laravel

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd <project-name>

2. Navigate to Backend

cd backend

3. Install PHP Dependencies

composer install

4. Configure Environment

Copy the example environment file:

cp .env.example .env

For Windows:

copy .env.example .env

Update the .env file with the required configuration:

APP_NAME=Laravel
APP_ENV=local
APP_KEY=
APP_DEBUG=true
APP_URL=http://localhost:8000

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=database_name
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

5. Generate Application Key

php artisan key:generate

6. Run Database Migrations

php artisan migrate

If seed data is required:

php artisan db:seed

Or:

php artisan migrate --seed

7. Create Storage Link

php artisan storage:link

8. Start Laravel Server

php artisan serve

The backend will normally be available at:

http://localhost:8000

---

🎨 Frontend Setup – Next.js

Open a new terminal.

1. Navigate to Frontend

cd frontend

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment

Create .env.local:

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:8000/api

Add any additional environment variables required by the application.

4. Start Development Server

npm run dev

The frontend will normally be available at:

http://localhost:3000

---

🔗 Frontend & Backend Integration

The Next.js application communicates with Laravel through REST APIs.

Example:

Next.js
   │
   │ HTTP Request
   ▼
Laravel API
   │
   ▼
MySQL Database

Example API configuration:

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:8000/api

Example API endpoint:

GET /api/users
POST /api/login
GET /api/products

The exact API endpoints should be documented based on the project's API specification.

---

💻 Usage

Start Backend

cd backend
php artisan serve

Start Frontend

cd frontend
npm run dev

For production builds:

Laravel

php artisan optimize

Next.js

npm run build
npm run start

---

🧪 Running Tests

Laravel Tests

cd backend
php artisan test

Or:

./vendor/bin/phpunit

Next.js Tests

cd frontend
npm run test

If the project uses a specific testing framework such as Jest or Playwright, use the corresponding project-defined command.

---

🧹 Code Quality

Before creating a Pull Request, ensure the code passes the project's configured linting and formatting checks.

Next.js

npm run lint

Laravel

If Laravel Pint is configured:

./vendor/bin/pint

---

🌿 Branching & Git Workflow

The repository follows a feature-based Git workflow.

Main Branch

main

The main branch contains stable, production-ready code.

Feature Branches

Create a separate branch for each feature or task:

git checkout -b feature/user-authentication

Examples:

feature/user-authentication
feature/dashboard
feature/payment-integration
fix/login-validation
fix/api-response
refactor/user-service

Development Workflow

feature branch
      │
      ▼
Development
      │
      ▼
Testing
      │
      ▼
Pull Request
      │
      ▼
Code Review
      │
      ▼
main

Commit Changes

git add .
git commit -m "Add user authentication"

Push Branch

git push origin feature/user-authentication

Create a Pull Request targeting:

main

---

🔐 Environment & Security

Do not commit sensitive environment variables or credentials.

The following files should generally remain outside Git:

.env
.env.local
.env.production

Never commit:

• Database passwords
• API keys
• Access tokens
• JWT secrets
• Third-party credentials
• Production credentials

Use .env.example to document required environment variables.

---

📋 Pull Request Checklist

Before submitting a Pull Request:

• Code follows project coding standards.
• Feature/functionality has been tested locally.
• Backend API changes have been tested.
• Frontend integration has been tested.
• Database migrations are included where required.
• Environment variables are documented in .env.example.
• No sensitive credentials are committed.
• Tests are passing.
• Lint/formatting checks are passing.
• PR description clearly explains the changes.

---

🤝 Contributing

1. Create a feature/fix branch from main.

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b feature/your-feature

2. Implement your changes.

3. Test the changes locally.

4. Commit your changes.

git add .
git commit -m "Add your change description"

5. Push your branch.

git push origin feature/your-feature

6. Create a Pull Request targeting main.

7. Address review comments and merge after approval.

---

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

See the LICENSE file for details.

---

👥 Project Contact

Project: Project Name Repository: <GitHub Repository URL> Maintained By: <Team / Organization Name>

For project-related issues or feature requests, create a GitHub Issue or contact the project maintainers.