Scheduler with cron in Laravel - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of Laravel's scheduler?

Laravel's scheduler allows you to define scheduled tasks inside your application code instead of managing separate cron entries. It helps automate repetitive tasks like sending emails or cleaning databases.

beginner

How do you register a scheduled task in Laravel?

You register scheduled tasks inside the <code>schedule()</code> method of the <code>App\Console\Kernel</code> class using methods like <code>->command()</code> or <code>->call()</code> with timing methods like <code>->daily()</code> or <code>->everyMinute()</code>.

beginner

What is the cron entry you add to your server to run Laravel's scheduler?

You add a single cron entry that runs every minute: * * * * * php /path-to-your-project/artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1. This triggers Laravel's scheduler to check and run due tasks.

intermediate

How can you run a scheduled task only on weekdays in Laravel?

Use the weekdays() method in the scheduler chain. For example: $schedule->command('emails:send')->weekdays()->at('13:00'); runs the task at 1 PM Monday to Friday.

intermediate

What is the benefit of using Laravel's scheduler over direct cron jobs for each task?

Laravel's scheduler centralizes task scheduling in code, making it easier to manage, test, and deploy. You only need one cron entry, reducing server complexity and risk of errors.

What command does Laravel's scheduler run every minute via cron?

A php artisan schedule:run

B php artisan cron:run

C php artisan task:run

D php artisan schedule:execute

The correct command is php artisan schedule:run, which Laravel uses to check and run scheduled tasks.

Where do you define scheduled tasks in a Laravel app?

A In <code>routes/web.php</code>

B In <code>App\Console\Kernel.php</code>

C In <code>config/scheduler.php</code>

D In <code>app/Http/Controllers/Scheduler.php</code>

Scheduled tasks are defined in the schedule() method inside App\Console\Kernel.php.

How often should the cron job for Laravel scheduler run?

A Every hour

B Every day

C Every minute

D Every second

The cron job runs every minute to check if any scheduled tasks are due.

Which method schedules a task to run daily at midnight?

A ->daily()

B ->hourly()

C ->everyMinute()

D ->weekly()

The ->daily() method schedules a task to run once every day at midnight.

How do you schedule a task to run only on weekdays in Laravel?

A ->monthly()

B ->weekends()

C ->daily()

D ->weekdays()

The ->weekdays() method restricts the task to run Monday through Friday.

Explain how Laravel's scheduler works with cron to automate tasks.

Think about how one cron job triggers Laravel to handle many tasks.

Describe how to define and schedule a command to run every day at 2 AM only on weekdays in Laravel.

Focus on the methods to set time and days in the scheduler.