Course Listing with Filters (Category, Difficulty) with Laravel Livewire

Greetings, developers! Today, we embark on a journey to implement a robust "Course Listing with Filters (Category, Difficulty) using Laravel Livewire" feature. Dive into this hands-on tutorial for a comprehensive understanding of how to enhance your application with dynamic filtering capabilities. Before we commence, familiarize yourself with our previous Laravel Livewire tutorials:

• Event Creation and Management System With Laravel Livewire
• Project Creation with Milestones With Laravel Livewire

Step 1: Create Livewire Component for Course Listing

Initiate by generating a new Livewire component named CourseList to handle the course listing and filtering functionalities:

php artisan make:livewire CourseList

This command will create the necessary Livewire component files for managing the course listing with filters.

Step 2: Design the Course Listing View

Craft the view file resources/views/livewire/course-list.blade.php to showcase the course listing with filters:

<div>
    <select wire:model="selectedCategory">
        @foreach($categories as $category)
            <option value="{{ $category }}">{{ $category }}</option>
        @endforeach
    </select>

    <select wire:model="selectedDifficulty">
        @foreach($difficulties as $difficulty)
            <option value="{{ $difficulty }}">{{ $difficulty }}</option>
        @endforeach
    </select>

    <ul>
        @foreach($courses as $course)
            <li>{{ $course->title }} - {{ $course->category }} - {{ $course->difficulty }}</li>
        @endforeach
    </ul>
</div>

In this view, users can filter courses by category and difficulty, displaying the respective courses accordingly.

Step 3: Implement Filtering Logic

Integrate the filtering logic in the CourseList Livewire component to fetch courses based on selected filters:

public $selectedCategory;
public $selectedDifficulty;

public function render()
{
    $courses = Course::when($this->selectedCategory, function ($query, $category) {
        return $query->where('category', $category);
    })->when($this->selectedDifficulty, function ($query, $difficulty) {
        return $query->where('difficulty', $difficulty);
    })->get();

    return view('livewire.course-list', [
        'categories' => Course::pluck('category')->unique(),
        'difficulties' => Course::pluck('difficulty')->unique(),
        'courses' => $courses
    ]);
}

This method filters courses based on the selected category and difficulty criteria, dynamically updating the course list.

Step 4: Add Pagination to Course Listing

Enhance the user experience by incorporating pagination into the course listing view:

<ul>
    @foreach($courses as $course)
        <li>{{ $course->title }} - {{ $course->category }} - {{ $course->difficulty }}</li>
    @endforeach
</ul>

{{ $courses->links() }}

By paginating the course list, you allow users to navigate through courses efficiently while maintaining a clean interface.

Step 5: Implement Category Filter Functionality

Extend the filtering capability by implementing a specific category filter within the Livewire component:

public function filterByCategory($category)
{
    $this->selectedCategory = $category;
}

This method enables users to filter courses by a particular category with a simple click, refining their search results instantly.

Step 6: Develop Difficulty Filter Functionality

Similarly, create a method to filter courses based on difficulty chosen by the user:

public function filterByDifficulty($difficulty)
{
    $this->selectedDifficulty = $difficulty;
}

Allowing users to filter courses by difficulty level provides a customized browsing experience tailored to their preferences.

Step 7: Implement Clear Filters Button

Facilitate a seamless user experience by adding a button to reset all applied filters:

<button wire:click="clearFilters">Clear Filters</button>

This functionality allows users to reset filters with ease, providing a straightforward way to explore the full course catalog.

Step 8: Create Clear Filters Method

Define the clearFilters method within the Livewire component to reset all applied filters:

public function clearFilters()
{
    $this->selectedCategory = null;
    $this->selectedDifficulty = null;
}

By resetting the filters, users can revert to viewing all available courses, eliminating any applied constraints.

Step 9: Include Search Functionality

Implement a search feature allowing users to search for specific courses by their title:

<input type="text" wire:model="search" />

public function render()
{
    $courses = Course::where('title', 'like', '%'.$this->search.'%')
                    ->when($this->selectedCategory, function ($query, $category) {
                        return $query->where('category', $category);
                    })
                    ->when($this->selectedDifficulty, function ($query, $difficulty) {
                        return $query->where('difficulty', $difficulty);
                    })
                    ->paginate(10);

    return view('livewire.course-list', [
        'categories' => Course::pluck('category')->unique(),
        'difficulties' => Course::pluck('difficulty')->unique(),
        'courses' => $courses
    ]);
}

Enabling users to search for courses by title enhances the discoverability of specific course offerings within the application.

Step 10: Concluding Thoughts

Congratulations! You've successfully implemented a feature-rich "Course Listing with Filters (Category, Difficulty) using Laravel Livewire" functionality. By incorporating dynamic filtering, pagination, and search capabilities, you've enhanced the user experience and provided a tailored approach to course browsing.

Explore further customization options like additional filter criteria, sorting options, or interactive visuals to elevate your course listing experience even more.

This tutorial equips you with the knowledge to create dynamic and user-friendly course listing pages with advanced filtering functionalities using Laravel Livewire. Dive deeper into customization and optimization to tailor the experience to your specific application requirements. Happy coding!