Migrating legacy PHP code to Laravel modernizes applications, improving maintainability, scalability, and developer productivity. Laravel’s MVC structure brings order to unstructured codebases.

Challenges of Legacy Code

Legacy PHP applications often lack structure, use outdated practices, or rely on deprecated PHP versions, making maintenance difficult and prone to errors.

Migration Strategies

• Refactoring to MVC: Restructure code into Laravel’s Model-View-Controller architecture.
• Database Migration: Convert legacy database schemas to Laravel migrations.
• Dependency Management: Replace custom libraries with Composer packages.
• Testing Integration: Add unit and integration tests using PHPUnit or Laravel’s testing tools.
• Incremental Migration: Migrate features gradually to minimize downtime.

Implementation Steps

Start by setting up a Laravel project and mapping legacy routes to controllers. Convert database tables to Laravel migrations using `Schema::create`. Replace custom libraries with Composer dependencies like Guzzle for HTTP requests. Write tests with PHPUnit to ensure functionality. Use a phased approach, migrating one module at a time, and test thoroughly with Laravel’s `artisan test` command.

Conclusion

Migrating to Laravel transforms legacy PHP code into modern, maintainable applications. It’s a strategic move for long-term success. Ready to modernize your codebase? Get in touch for migration support!