What is the difference between routing and middleware in PHP?

What is the difference between routing and middleware in PHP?

Routing in PHP determines how requests are handled and which controller to invoke, while middleware processes requests before they reach the controller.

Can you give me an example of how routing works in a PHP application?

Sure! In a PHP application, routing maps a URL to a specific function or controller. For example, a URL like '/users' might route to a UsersController that handles user-related actions.

And what about middleware? How does it fit into the request lifecycle?

Middleware acts as a bridge between the request and response. It can perform tasks like authentication, logging, or modifying the request before it reaches the controller.

Are there any common middleware examples in PHP frameworks?

Yes! Common middleware examples include authentication checks, CORS handling, and request logging, which are often used in frameworks like Laravel.