Hi. I’m Rob Mellett.

I'm a Laravel API developer specializing in designing, building, and maintaining Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) using the Laravel framework. Laravel is a PHP web application framework known for its elegant syntax, robust features, and developer-friendly tools.

Here's a quick breakdown of what I typically do on a day to day basis.

• API Design and Planning:

  • Collaborate with stakeholders to understand the requirements for the API.
  • Plan and design the structure of the API, including endpoints, data formats (usually JSON), and authentication mechanisms.

• Laravel Framework Expertise:

  • Leverage Laravel's features for routing, controllers, middleware, and eloquent ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) to build efficient and scalable APIs.
  • Utilize Laravel's Artisan command-line tool for automating repetitive tasks and scaffolding.

• Database Integration:

  • Integrate the API with databases using Laravel's Eloquent ORM for smooth data retrieval and manipulation.
  • Ensure database interactions are secure and optimized for performance.

• Authentication and Authorization:

  • Implement secure authentication mechanisms such as OAuth, JWT (JSON Web Tokens), or Laravel Passport.
  • Set up authorization rules to control access to different API resources.

• Validation and Error Handling:

  • Implement input validation to ensure data integrity. Handle errors gracefully, providing meaningful responses to clients.

• Testing:

  • Write unit tests and integration tests to ensure the reliability of the API.
  • Use Laravel's testing tools to automate and streamline the testing process.

• Performance Optimization:

  • Optimize API performance through caching, indexing, and other Laravel features.
  • Monitor and analyze performance metrics to identify and address bottlenecks.

• Security:

  • Implement security best practices to protect the API from common threats, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

• Versioning:

  • Implement versioning strategies to manage changes to the API without disrupting existing clients.

• Documentation:

  • Create comprehensive API documentation to guide other developers and users in utilizing the API effectively.

• Collaboration:

  • Work collaboratively with frontend developers, mobile app developers, and other team members to ensure they have the data they need to build their applications.

In essence, I play a crucial role in creating the bridge between different vendors and stacks, enabling them to communicate and share data in a secure and efficient manner.