Laravel development
Modern Laravel and PHP development for new applications, existing systems and long-term products.
Services
PHP development
Real-world PHP development for applications that have to keep working: modern PHP for new builds, and careful, practical work on the codebases businesses already depend on.
Who this is for
Organisations with a PHP application that matters to them — a customer-facing system, an internal tool, an integration hub — and who need someone who can work confidently inside it. Sometimes that’s a modern Laravel codebase. Often it’s something older, built by a developer who has since moved on.
Modern PHP
PHP today is a very different language from the one many people remember: strict types, enums, readonly properties, attributes, first-class callable syntax and a fast, well-supported runtime. For new work we use current PHP versions, Composer, automated code style and static analysis, and Laravel where a framework is appropriate.
Existing PHP applications
Much of our PHP work is on applications we didn’t start. Over the years that has included Laravel, Symfony-based, CakePHP and Kohana applications, WordPress, Drupal and OpenCart sites, and entirely custom code. The approach is the same each time: understand what the code actually does before changing it.
- Refactoring — breaking up large classes and files, introducing structure and removing duplication in small, safe steps.
- Databases — MySQL and MariaDB schema design, query optimisation, indexing and data migrations.
- APIs — adding an API to an existing system or connecting it to payment providers, CRMs and accounting software.
- Performance — profiling slow pages and jobs, caching, and fixing N+1 query problems.
- Security and maintenance — PHP and dependency upgrades, patching, and removing code nobody uses.
Legacy systems
Old doesn’t mean bad. A PHP application that has run a business for ten years has earned some respect. We look for the smallest set of changes that makes it safe to work on — usually tests around critical paths, a supported PHP version and a repeatable deployment — then improve it from there. Read more about legacy modernisation.
Relevant experience
Coder Studios has worked in PHP since 2013, and David Wright for considerably longer. That includes years of support work on a custom PHP application for one of an agency’s high-profile clients, bespoke systems for charities, and payment integrations with Stripe, PayPal, SagePay and PayPoint.
How an engagement usually works
We usually begin with access to the code and a short review, then agree the first piece of work together. Many clients keep us on afterwards for ongoing maintenance, which is where a long-lived PHP application benefits most.
Common questions
Do you only work with Laravel?
No. Laravel is our default for new work, but we also maintain applications built on Symfony components, CakePHP, Kohana, WordPress and completely custom PHP.
Our application runs on an old version of PHP. Can you help?
Yes. Upgrading PHP is often the most valuable thing an older application can do for its security and performance. We plan it in steps, fix deprecations as we go and add tests where there are none.
Should we rewrite our PHP application?
Usually not all at once. A working application contains years of business rules. We normally recommend improving it incrementally and replacing parts only where there is a clear reason. See legacy modernisation for more on how we approach this.
Related services
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API development & integrations
APIs and integrations that connect applications, services, payments, data and internal systems. -
Legacy PHP & Laravel modernisation
Improve and extend existing PHP and Laravel systems without throwing away valuable business logic.
Related insights
- Laravel vs WordPress — Laravel and WordPress compared from a developer’s point of view, and why we usually choose Laravel for web applications.
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