Laravel Policies

Laravel Policies provide a convenient way to organize authorization logic around specific models. They act as classes that define methods to determine user permissions for performing actions on a resource.

Origin

Policies are part of Laravel's authorization system, introduced to simplify user permissions by encapsulating logic into reusable classes.

Why are they important?

1. Encourages Clean Code: Moves authorization logic out of controllers and into dedicated classes.
2. Supports Granular Permissions: Allows fine-grained control over model actions.
3. Integrates Seamlessly: Works directly with Eloquent models and gates.

Best Practices

1. Map Policies to Models: Use AuthServiceProvider to register policies for models.
2. Leverage Gates for Simplicity: Use gates for simple authorization logic.
3. Test Policies Thoroughly: Ensure all edge cases are handled for secure access control.

Example in Action

Create a policy:

php artisan make:policy PostPolicy --model=Post

Define a policy method:

public function update(User $user, Post $post)
{
    return $user->id === $post->user_id;
}

Register the policy in AuthServiceProvider:

protected $policies = [
    Post::class => PostPolicy::class,
];

Authorize an action in a controller:

$this->authorize('update', $post);

Laravel Policies centralize authorization logic, making applications more secure and maintainable.