Introduction

It’s time for an update on our current projects! In recent months, we’ve taken on exciting new challenges and deployed proven technologies in new combinations.

Current Project Landscape

Enterprise Web Application with Laravel

Our largest current project is a comprehensive enterprise application for a medium-sized company:

Technology Stack:

• Backend: Laravel 10.x
• Frontend: Angular 16
• Database: MySQL 8.0
• Deployment: Docker + Kubernetes

Challenges:

• Complex business logic with many dependencies
• Integration with legacy systems
• High performance requirements
• Multi-tenant architecture

Lessons Learned: Laravel’s Eloquent ORM proves to be extremely powerful for complex data relationships, while Angular’s modular architecture is perfect for large teams.

Mobile-First Application with Ionic

In parallel, we’re developing a mobile application for field service:

Technology Stack:

• Framework: Ionic 7 + Angular
• Backend API: Laravel (shared with web app)
• Offline Sync: Capacitor + SQLite
• Push Notifications: Firebase

Special Features:

• Offline functionality for field service scenarios
• GPS tracking and geo-fencing
• Camera integration for documentation
• Synchronization when network is available

Technical Highlights

Laravel as API Powerhouse

Laravel has proven to be an ideal choice for complex backend systems:

// Example: Eloquent Relationships
class Project extends Model {
    public function tasks() {
        return $this->hasMany(Task::class);
    }
    
    public function activeUsers() {
        return $this->belongsToMany(User::class)
                    ->wherePivot('active', true);
    }
}

Advantages:

• Intuitive syntax and rapid development
• Robust authentication and authorization
• Excellent testing support with PHPUnit
• Comprehensive ecosystem

Angular for Complex UIs

Angular’s component architecture proves itself in large applications:

@Component({
  selector: 'app-dashboard',
  template: `
    <mat-grid-list cols="3">
      <mat-grid-tile *ngFor="let widget of widgets">
        <app-widget [data]="widget"></app-widget>
      </mat-grid-tile>
    </mat-grid-list>
  `
})
export class DashboardComponent {
  widgets = this.widgetService.getWidgets();
}

Advantages:

• TypeScript for better code quality
• Dependency injection for testable code
• Reactive forms for complex forms
• Angular Material for consistent UI

MySQL Performance Optimization

With large amounts of data, proper database optimization is crucial:

Implemented Strategies:

• Composite indexes for multi-column queries
• Query optimization with Laravel’s Query Builder
• Database partitioning for historical data
• Redis caching for frequent queries

Challenges and Solutions

Scalability

Problem: Growing user numbers and data volumes Solution:

• Microservices architecture with Laravel
• Horizontal scaling with load balancers
• Database sharding for better performance

Real-time Features

Problem: Live updates in the application Solution:

• Laravel Broadcasting with WebSockets
• Angular Observables for reactive updates
• Redis as message broker

Mobile Performance

Problem: Slow app performance on older devices Solution:

• Lazy loading for Angular modules
• Ionic’s virtual scrolling
• Optimized API responses with Laravel Resources

Outlook

Planned Technology Updates

• Laravel 11: Migration planned for Q4 2023
• Angular 17: New control flow syntax
• Ionic 8: Improved performance

New Features in Development

• AI integration for automated workflows
• Progressive Web App (PWA) features
• Advanced analytics dashboard
• Multi-language support

Conclusion

The combination of Laravel, Angular, Ionic, and MySQL proves to be robust and scalable for enterprise applications. The modular architecture allows us to respond flexibly to changes and implement new features quickly.

Do you have similar project requirements? Feel free to contact us: mail@eschsoftware.de