Tutorial: How to Dynamically Manage Application Settings in Laravel

In Laravel, managing application settings dynamically allows you to create flexible and easily configurable applications. Imagine storing settings such as the application’s timezone, notification preferences, or API rate limits in a database, making them adjustable without touching the code. This tutorial will guide you through setting up a system to dynamically manage application settings in Laravel.

Scenario: Dynamic Application Settings

For this tutorial, we will create a settings system to manage:

• Application Timezone: Configure the app’s timezone dynamically.
• Notification Preferences: Enable or disable notifications.
• API Rate Limit: Define the maximum number of API requests allowed per minute.

These settings will be stored in a database, retrieved efficiently, and made accessible throughout the application.

Step 1: Create a `Settings` Table and Model

Start by creating a database table to store your application settings.

1. Generate the Migration:

   php artisan make:migration create_settings_table --create=settings

1. Define the Schema:

Open the generated migration file in database/migrations and define the schema:

   use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
   use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
   use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;

   class CreateSettingsTable extends Migration
   {
       public function up()
       {
           Schema::create('settings', function (Blueprint $table) {
               $table->id();
               $table->string('key')->unique();
               $table->string('value')->nullable();
               $table->timestamps();
           });
       }

       public function down()
       {
           Schema::dropIfExists('settings');
       }
   }

1. Run the Migration:

   php artisan migrate

1. Create the Model:

   php artisan make:model Setting

Define the model in app/Models/Setting.php:

   namespace App\Models;

   use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;

   class Setting extends Model
   {
       protected $fillable = ['key', 'value'];
   }

Step 2: Seed the Database with Default Settings

Add some initial settings for testing.

1. Create a Seeder:

   php artisan make:seeder SettingsSeeder

1. Define Default Settings:

Open the generated file in database/seeders and populate the settings table:

   namespace Database\Seeders;

   use Illuminate\Database\Seeder;
   use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;

   class SettingsSeeder extends Seeder
   {
       public function run()
       {
           DB::table('settings')->insert([
               ['key' => 'timezone', 'value' => 'UTC'],
               ['key' => 'notifications_enabled', 'value' => 'true'],
               ['key' => 'api_rate_limit', 'value' => '100'],
           ]);
       }
   }

1. Run the Seeder:

   php artisan db:seed --class=SettingsSeeder

Step 3: Create a Helper Function for Retrieving Settings

To easily fetch settings, create a helper function.

1. Add a Helper File:

Create app/Helpers/helpers.php (if it doesn’t already exist). Add this to your composer.json file:

   "autoload": {
       "files": [
           "app/Helpers/helpers.php"
       ]
   }

Run composer dump-autoload after adding the file.

1. Define the Helper Function:

Add this code to helpers.php:

   use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Cache;

   if (!function_exists('getSetting')) {
       function getSetting($key, $default = null)
       {
           return Cache::rememberForever("setting_{$key}", function () use ($key, $default) {
               $setting = \App\Models\Setting::where('key', $key)->first();
               return $setting ? $setting->value : $default;
           });
       }
   }

This helper:

• Caches settings to reduce database queries.
• Returns the default value if the setting doesn’t exist.

Step 4: Use Settings in Your Application

Now you can use the getSetting helper to dynamically adjust application behavior.

1. Set the Timezone Dynamically:

In AppServiceProvider, set the application timezone:

   namespace App\Providers;

   use Illuminate\Support\ServiceProvider;

   class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
   {
       public function boot()
       {
           config(['app.timezone' => getSetting('timezone', 'UTC')]);
       }
   }

1. Toggle Notifications:

Use the notifications_enabled setting to control notification behavior:

   if (getSetting('notifications_enabled', 'false') === 'true') {
       // Send notifications
   }

1. Dynamic API Rate Limit:

Adjust middleware behavior based on the api_rate_limit setting:

   namespace App\Http\Middleware;

   use Closure;

   class RateLimitMiddleware
   {
       public function handle($request, Closure $next)
       {
           $rateLimit = getSetting('api_rate_limit', 60);
           // Apply the rate limit logic here
           return $next($request);
       }
   }

Step 5: Add an Admin Interface for Settings

Allow admins to edit settings from a web interface.

1. Create a Settings Controller:

   php artisan make:controller Admin/SettingsController

1. Define Edit and Update Methods:

In SettingsController, add methods to edit and update settings:

   namespace App\Http\Controllers\Admin;

   use App\Models\Setting;
   use Illuminate\Http\Request;

   class SettingsController extends Controller
   {
       public function edit()
       {
           $settings = Setting::all();
           return view('admin.settings.edit', compact('settings'));
       }

       public function update(Request $request)
       {
           foreach ($request->settings as $key => $value) {
               Setting::updateOrCreate(['key' => $key], ['value' => $value]);
           }

           return redirect()->back()->with('success', 'Settings updated successfully.');
       }
   }

1. Create the Blade View:

Create resources/views/admin/settings/edit.blade.php:

   <form action="{{ route('admin.settings.update') }}" method="POST">
       @csrf
       @method('PUT')

       @foreach ($settings as $setting)
           <div>
               <label>{{ ucfirst(str_replace('_', ' ', $setting->key)) }}</label>
               <input type="text" name="settings[{{ $setting->key }}]" value="{{ $setting->value }}">
           </div>
       @endforeach

       <button type="submit">Save Settings</button>
   </form>

Conclusion

You now have a system for dynamically managing application settings in Laravel. These settings are stored in the database, efficiently retrieved using a helper, and editable through an admin interface. With this approach, you can build highly configurable applications without hardcoding settings.