Global middleware in Laravel - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Creating and Using Global Middleware in Laravel

📖 Scenario: You are building a Laravel web application that needs to log every incoming HTTP request's URL for monitoring purposes.To do this efficiently, you will create a global middleware that runs on every request and logs the URL.

🎯 Goal: Create a global middleware in Laravel that logs the URL of every incoming request.Register this middleware globally so it runs on all routes automatically.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a middleware class named LogRequestUrl in the app/Http/Middleware directory.

In the middleware, log the current request URL using Laravel's Log facade.

Register the LogRequestUrl middleware globally in the app/Http/Kernel.php file.

Verify the middleware runs on every request by checking the log file.

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Global middleware is useful for tasks that must happen on every request, such as logging, security checks, or setting locale preferences.

💼 Career

Understanding global middleware registration and creation is essential for Laravel developers to implement cross-cutting concerns efficiently.

1

Create the LogRequestUrl middleware class

Create a middleware class named LogRequestUrl inside the app/Http/Middleware directory. The class should have a handle method that accepts $request and $next parameters and returns $next($request).

Laravel

<?php

namespace App\Http\Middleware;

use Closure;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

class LogRequestUrl
{
    // Your code here
}

Hint

Use the handle method with parameters Request $request and Closure $next. Return $next($request) at the end.

2

Add logging of the request URL in the middleware

Inside the handle method of LogRequestUrl, add a line to log the current request URL using \Log::info($request->url()) before returning $next($request). Make sure to import the Log facade with use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;.

Laravel

<?php

namespace App\Http\Middleware;

use Closure;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;

class LogRequestUrl
{
    public function handle(Request $request, Closure $next)
    {
        // Your code here
        return $next($request);
    }
}

Hint

Import the Log facade and call Log::info() with the request URL inside the handle method.

3

Register the middleware globally in Kernel.php

Open the app/Http/Kernel.php file. Add the \App\Http\Middleware\LogRequestUrl::class entry to the $middleware array property to register it as global middleware.

Laravel

<?php

namespace App\Http;

use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Kernel as HttpKernel;

class Kernel extends HttpKernel
{
    protected $middleware = [
        // Your code here
    ];
}

Hint

In the Kernel class, add \App\Http\Middleware\LogRequestUrl::class inside the $middleware array.

4

Verify the middleware logs URLs on every request

Make a request to any route in your Laravel app. Check the storage/logs/laravel.log file to confirm that the requested URL is logged by the LogRequestUrl middleware.

Laravel

<?php
// Make a request to any route and check the log file
// Your code here

Hint

After registering the middleware globally, any request will trigger the logging. Check the log file to confirm.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of global middleware in a Laravel application?

easy

A. To run code on every HTTP request to the application

B. To handle database migrations automatically

C. To define routes for the application

D. To manage user sessions only on login

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what middleware does

   Middleware acts as a filter or layer that runs code before or after a request is handled.

2. Step 2: Identify the role of global middleware

   Global middleware runs on every HTTP request, applying tasks like authentication or logging universally.

3. Final Answer:

   To run code on every HTTP request to the application -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Global middleware = runs on every request [OK]

Hint: Global middleware affects all requests, not just some [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing middleware with routing
• Thinking middleware only runs on login
• Assuming middleware manages database

2. Which file in a Laravel project is used to register global middleware?

easy

A. config/app.php

B. routes/web.php

C. app/Http/Kernel.php

D. app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall where middleware is registered

   Middleware is registered in the Kernel class which manages HTTP middleware stacks.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct Kernel file

   In Laravel, the HTTP Kernel is located at app/Http/Kernel.php where global middleware is listed in the $middleware array.

3. Final Answer:

   app/Http/Kernel.php -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Global middleware registered in Kernel.php [OK]

Hint: Middleware registration is in Kernel.php, not routes or config [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing routes/web.php which defines routes only
• Confusing config/app.php with middleware registration
• Selecting service providers which are for services

3. Given this snippet in app/Http/Kernel.php:

$middleware = [
    \App\Http\Middleware\CheckAge::class,
];

What happens when a user sends a request to the app?

medium

A. The CheckAge middleware runs only on POST requests

B. The CheckAge middleware runs on every request

C. The CheckAge middleware runs only on routes with 'age' prefix

D. The CheckAge middleware does not run automatically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the $middleware array role

   The $middleware array in Kernel.php lists global middleware that runs on every request.

2. Step 2: Analyze the effect of adding CheckAge middleware there

   Since CheckAge is in $middleware, it will execute on all HTTP requests regardless of method or route.

3. Final Answer:

   The CheckAge middleware runs on every request -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   $middleware = global middleware runs always [OK]

Hint: Middleware in $middleware runs on all requests, no exceptions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking middleware runs only on certain HTTP methods
• Assuming middleware runs only on specific routes
• Believing middleware must be manually attached to routes

4. You added a new global middleware class to $middleware in app/Http/Kernel.php, but it does not run on requests. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The middleware class is registered in $routeMiddleware instead of $middleware

B. The middleware class is not imported in routes/web.php

C. The middleware class is missing a constructor

D. The middleware class does not implement the handle method

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand difference between $middleware and $routeMiddleware

   $middleware is for global middleware; $routeMiddleware is for middleware assigned to specific routes.

2. Step 2: Identify why middleware won't run globally

   If middleware is only registered in $routeMiddleware, it won't run on every request unless assigned to routes.

3. Final Answer:

   The middleware class is registered in $routeMiddleware instead of $middleware -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Global middleware must be in $middleware array [OK]

Hint: Global middleware must be in $middleware, not $routeMiddleware [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Forgetting to implement handle method causes errors, not silent skip
• Importing middleware in routes/web.php is unnecessary
• Assuming constructor is required for middleware to run

5. You want to log every request's URL and method globally in your Laravel app. Which is the best way to do this using global middleware?

hard

A. Add logging code directly inside routes/web.php for each route

B. Register a route middleware and assign it to all routes manually

C. Use a controller constructor to log requests for each controller

D. Create a middleware with a handle method that logs request info and add it to $middleware in Kernel.php

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify how to apply logging globally

   Global middleware runs on every request, perfect for logging all requests centrally.

2. Step 2: Implement middleware and register globally

   Create middleware with a handle method that logs request URL and method, then add it to $middleware array in Kernel.php.

3. Step 3: Evaluate other options

   Logging in routes or controllers is repetitive and error-prone; assigning route middleware to all routes is inefficient.

4. Final Answer:

   Create a middleware with a handle method that logs request info and add it to $middleware in Kernel.php -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Global logging = global middleware in $middleware [OK]

Hint: Use global middleware for app-wide request logging [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Logging inside routes causes duplication
• Controller constructors don't cover all requests
• Assigning route middleware manually is tedious and error-prone