How to use the command valet (with examples)

Valet is a Laravel development environment that allows hosting sites via local tunnels on http://<example>.test. It simplifies the process of setting up a local development environment for Laravel projects.

Use case 1: Starting the valet daemon

Code:

valet start

Motivation:

• Starting the valet daemon is the first step in using Valet. It initializes the necessary processes for valet to work.

Explanation:

• The start command starts the valet daemon, which runs in the background and handles requests to the local development environment.

Example output:

Valet is now running.

Use case 2: Registering a directory as a search path for sites

Code:

valet park

Motivation:

• Registering a directory as a search path allows Valet to find and serve sites that are placed within that directory.

Explanation:

• The park command registers the current working directory as a path that Valet should search for sites. This is useful when working on multiple Laravel projects within different directories.

Example output:

This directory has been added to Valet's paths.

Use case 3: Viewing registered paths

Code:

valet paths

Motivation:

• Viewing the registered paths helps keep track of the directories that Valet is searching for sites.

Explanation:

• The paths command shows a list of all the directories that Valet is currently registered to search for sites.

Example output:

/Users/username/Sites
/Users/username/Projects

Use case 4: Serving a single site

Code:

valet link application_name

Motivation:

• Serving a single site instead of a directory is useful when you want to focus on a specific project and quickly access it from the local development environment.

Explanation:

• The link command creates a symbolic link between the current working directory and the specified application name. This allows Valet to serve the site using http://application_name.test.

Example output:

http://application_name.test

Use case 5: Sharing a project via an Ngrok tunnel

Code:

valet share

Motivation:

• Sharing a project via an Ngrok tunnel allows others to access your local development environment and test your application.

Explanation:

• The share command generates a publicly accessible URL using Ngrok, which tunnels the local development environment to a temporary external endpoint. This allows others to view and interact with your site temporarily.

Example output:

http://random-subdomain.ngrok.io

Conclusion:

The valet command provides essential functionality for managing a Laravel development environment. By using valet, developers can easily start the valet daemon, register directories, view registered paths, serve single sites, and share projects via Ngrok tunnels. Each use case provides specific benefits for managing and developing Laravel applications efficiently.