Laravel Volt: Class Components vs Functional Components

Laravel Volt is a new frontend framework for Laravel applications, allowing developers to create interactive UI components without writing extensive JavaScript. It provides two ways to define components: Class Components and Functional Components. Understanding their differences is essential to choosing the right approach for your project.

What is Laravel Volt?

Laravel Volt is a lightweight, reactive UI framework that integrates seamlessly with Laravel Blade. It allows developers to build interactive components without using Vue.js or React. It follows a similar approach to Laravel Livewire but with a more minimalistic syntax.

Laravel Volt Class Components

Class components in Laravel Volt are defined using PHP classes. These components allow you to manage state, handle lifecycle events, and use methods for logic.

Example of a Class Component:

1. Create a Class Component (Counter.php)

namespace App\Volt;

use Laravel\Volt\Component;

class Counter extends Component
{
    public int $count = 0;

    public function increment()
    {
        $this->count++;
    }

    public function decrement()
    {
        $this->count--;
    }
}

2. Blade File (counter.volt.php)

<div>
    <h1>Counter: {{ $count }}</h1>
    <button wire:click="decrement">-</button>
    <button wire:click="increment">+</button>
</div>

Features of Class Components:

• Supports state management via properties (public int $count).
• Allows defining methods to handle logic (increment() and decrement()).
• Can leverage lifecycle hooks for advanced logic.
• Uses reusable class-based structure.

Laravel Volt Functional Components

Functional components are simpler and written directly in Volt templates without needing a separate PHP class.

Example of a Functional Component:

1. Functional Component (counter.volt.php)

@php
    $count = $count ?? 0;
@endphp

<div>
    <h1>Counter: {{ $count }}</h1>
    <button wire:click="$set('count', $count - 1)">-</button>
    <button wire:click="$set('count', $count + 1)">+</button>
</div>

Features of Functional Components:

• No separate PHP class required—everything is written inside the Volt file.
• Uses direct Blade and PHP scripting.
• Best for small, stateless components.
• Does not support lifecycle methods or advanced logic.

When to Use Class Components?

Use class components when:

• You need stateful behavior.
• You require reusable logic with methods.
• Your component has complex functionality.
• You need to handle lifecycle events.

When to Use Functional Components?

Use functional components when:

• You need lightweight and simple UI elements.
• Your component is stateless or has minimal state changes.
• You don’t want to create a separate PHP class.
• You are working with one-off UI elements.