How to create API in Laravel

Here is an example of how you can create an API in Laravel and the expected output of an API call.

1. Install Laravel: To install Laravel, you can run the following command in your terminal:

   PHP

   composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel project_name

2. Create a Model and Migration: In Laravel, models are used to interact with the database, and migrations are used to manage the schema of the database. To create a model and a migration for a Book model, you can run the following command in your terminal:

   PHP

   php artisan make:model Book -m

3. Define the Schema: Open the migration file located at database/migrations/[timestamp]_create_books_table.php, and define the schema for the books table. For example:

   PHP

   public function up()
{
    Schema::create('books', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->string('title');
        $table->string('author');
        $table->integer('pages');
        $table->timestamps();
    });
}

4. Run the Migration: To create the books table in the database, you can run the following command in your terminal:

   PHP

   php artisan migrate

5. Create a Resource: In Laravel, a resource is used to transform a model into a JSON response. To create a resource for the `Book` model, you can run the following command in your terminal:

   PHP

   php artisan make:resource BookResource

6. Define the Route: In Laravel, routes are used to map URLs to controllers. To define a route for getting a list of all books, you can open the `routes/api.php` file and add the following code:

   PHP

   Route::get('books', 'BookController@index');

7. Create a Controller: In Laravel, controllers are used to handle HTTP requests. To create a controller for the `Book` model, you can run the following command in your terminal:

   PHP

   php artisan make:controller BookController

8. Implement the Method: Open the controller file located at `app/Http/Controllers/BookController.php`, and implement the index method that was defined in the route. For example:

   PHP

   public function index()
{
    return BookResource::collection(Book::all());
}

9. Test the API: To test the API, you can use a tool like Postman to make a GET request to the URL `http://localhost:8000/api/books`. The expected output would be a JSON array of books, where each book is represented as a JSON object with the properties `id`, `title`, `author`, `pages`, `created_at`, and `updated_at`.

With these steps, you have created a basic API in Laravel that returns a list of all books stored in the database. You can extend it by adding more routes, methods, and resources to meet your specific needs.