PHP Development | Tutorial 7 | Laravel MVC Architecture Explained

by christopher | Sep 29, 2025 | PHP Development, Web App Development | 0 comments

One of the reasons Laravel is so popular for web application development is its use of the MVC architecture—short for Model, View, Controller. This design pattern separates application logic into three distinct layers, making code more organized, maintainable, and scalable.

If you’re a beginner Laravel developer preparing for interviews, expect questions like: “How does MVC work in Laravel?” or “Where should business logic go in an MVC structure?” In this article, we’ll break down the MVC pattern, show real examples, and provide interview-style insights.

What is MVC Architecture?

MVC is a design pattern that divides an application into:

Model – Manages data, business rules, and database interaction.
View – Handles presentation (HTML, CSS, UI).
Controller – Acts as the middle layer between Model and View, processing requests and responses.

This separation ensures each layer has a clear responsibility, preventing messy “spaghetti code.”

MVC Flow in Laravel

Request → User visits a URL (e.g., /users).
Route → Laravel maps it to a controller action.
Controller → Fetches data from the model.
Model → Interacts with the database via Eloquent ORM.
View → Displays the data using the Blade template engine.

👉 This clean separation makes debugging and scaling web apps easier.

Laravel MVC in Action: Example

Step 1: Define a Route

// routes/web.php
Route::get('/users', [UserController::class, 'index']);

Step 2: Create a Controller

// app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php
namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use App\Models\User;

class UserController extends Controller {
    public function index() {
        $users = User::all();  
        return view('users.index', compact('users')); 
    }
}

Step 3: Create a Model

// app/Models/User.php
namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;

class User extends Model {
    protected $fillable = ['name', 'email'];
}

Step 4: Create a View

<!-- resources/views/users/index.blade.php -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>User List</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>All Users</h1>
    <ul>
        @foreach($users as $user)
            <li>{{ $user->name }} ({{ $user->email }})</li>
        @endforeach
    </ul>
</body>
</html>

👉 When a user visits /users, Laravel routes the request → controller → model → view → response.

Advantages of Laravel MVC

Separation of Concerns: Clear boundaries between logic, data, and presentation.
Maintainability: Easier to update a layer without breaking others.
Reusability: Models and controllers can be reused across multiple views.
Team Collaboration: Developers can work in parallel (e.g., front-end devs on views, back-end devs on controllers).
Scalability: Supports large applications with multiple modules.

Laravel Ecosystem Enhancements to MVC

Eloquent ORM – Simplifies database interaction (no raw SQL needed).
Blade Templates – Lightweight and efficient view engine.
Middleware – Intercepts requests before they reach controllers (e.g., authentication).
Service Container – Helps with dependency injection, keeping controllers clean.

Common Beginner Mistakes in Laravel MVC

Placing business logic in controllers instead of services or models.
Writing SQL queries directly in views (bad practice).
Mixing HTML with controller logic.
Ignoring naming conventions (e.g., UserController vs usercontroller).

Sample Interview Questions & Answers

Q: What does MVC stand for in Laravel?

A: Model, View, Controller—responsible for data, presentation, and request handling respectively.

Q: Can you explain the flow of a request in Laravel MVC?

A: A request goes to the route, then controller, which interacts with the model, retrieves data, and passes it to the view.

Q: Why is MVC important in Laravel?

A: It separates concerns, makes the code maintainable, scalable, and easier to test.

Q: Should business logic be in the model or controller?

A: Business logic should be in the model (or service classes), while the controller acts as a coordinator.

Q: How does Laravel’s Blade templating fit into MVC?

A: Blade is the View layer in MVC, responsible for rendering UI with data passed from controllers.

Q: Can a Laravel controller return JSON instead of a view?

A: Yes, especially for APIs. Example:

return response()->json(User::all());

Mini Project Idea

👉 Build a Task Manager App in Laravel using MVC.

Model: Task (title, description, status).
Controller: TaskController for CRUD.
View: Blade template showing tasks in a list.

This hands-on project will reinforce MVC concepts.

Closing Note

Laravel MVC architecture is the backbone of its clean and elegant code structure. Once you master MVC, you can build robust, maintainable applications with confidence.

Master PHP Development

Build your PHP expertise with these essential guides:

Understanding PHP OOP concepts – Write better code structure
PHP error handling and debugging – Debug like a pro
PHP sessions and cookies tutorial – Master user data management
Why Choose Laravel? – Ready for frameworks? → Discover why Laravel is the top choice for modern PHP developers