5 Ways I Use ChatGPT as a Backend Laravel Developer
by developia
As a Nigerian-UK dev juggling Laravel, deadlines, and the occasional jollof break, I've found that ChatGPT is like having a dev buddy who’s always available. Whether I'm building APIs or wrestling with database queries, here’s how I use ChatGPT to make my life easier:
1. SQL Queries Without the Headache
Laravel's Eloquent is cool, but sometimes you need raw SQL—especially for complex reports. Last week, I needed a query to get users who placed 5+ orders in a month, and instead of messing with joins and subqueries, I asked ChatGPT. Boom! It gave me a solid SELECT statement, and I just tweaked it for my schema.
Tip: “Write an SQL query to get all users with more than 5 orders in the last 30 days” — ChatGPT gets you there fast.
SELECT users.name, COUNT(orders.id)
FROM users
JOIN orders ON users.id = orders.user_id
WHERE orders.created_at >= NOW() - INTERVAL 30 DAY
GROUP BY users.name
HAVING COUNT(orders.id) > 5;
2. Speeding Up Eloquent Queries
Performance matters, especially if your app is used by Naija-based SMEs (you know how internet speeds can be). I asked ChatGPT to help refactor an Eloquent query that was loading way too many relationships. It suggested using with() and select(), which cut my query time in half. Now, clients get their data faster—no more “this thing is slow” complaints!
Example:
I asked it to optimize this eager-loading query:
User::with(['posts', 'comments'])->get();
ChatGPT suggested using select() to reduce the data retrieved:
User::select('id', 'name')->with(['posts:id,user_id,title', 'comments:id,user_id,body'])->get();
3. Mocking Data for Testing
I’m a fan of Test-Driven Development (TDD), but writing test data can be tedious. ChatGPT helps me quickly generate Laravel factories. Need a factory to mock user data with related orders? Just ask: “Give me a Laravel factory for users with 5 orders each.” Saves time and helps me focus on the real coding.
Example:
I needed to create users with random orders for TDD. ChatGPT whipped up:
Saves me the time of manually creating these relationships in tests.
Pro Tip: Ask ChatGPT for seeding strategies with relationships, like linking users to roles or products to categories.
4. Regex: The Silent Killer
Who else hates writing regular expressions? 😅 I’m not about to pretend I enjoy it. Whether it’s validating Nigerian phone numbers or email formats, I always turn to ChatGPT.
For example, I asked it to create a regex for Naija numbers, and it spat out this beauty: /^(\+234|0)[789]\d{9}$/.
You try writing that off the top of your head!
5. Finding Laravel Packages
There’s nothing like discovering a Laravel package that saves you hours of coding. From handling payments to managing files, ChatGPT knows the best packages for whatever feature I’m building. When I needed a PDF generator, it pointed me to dompdf in seconds, complete with install instructions. It’s like having a shortcut to the right tools.
Example:
I needed a PDF generator. ChatGPT recommended
barryvdh/laravel-dompdfwith installation steps:It even gave me a snippet to start generating PDFs:
php $pdf = PDF::loadView('pdf.invoice', $data); return $pdf->download('invoice.pdf');Boom, PDF done in no time.
Final Thoughts: As a dev balancing the Lagos hustle with the UK's precision, I don’t have time to waste. ChatGPT is my secret weapon for cutting through the noise and getting things done faster. Whether it’s SQL, regex, or finding that perfect Laravel package, this tool keeps me moving. Mondays are less stressful when you've got an AI in your corner.
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