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6 ways to check Laravel's version
The quickest way to check your Laravel version
The quickest way I know to check your Laravel version is by using the php artisan --version
command.
Knowing which version of Laravel you are running and its specific details are crucial pieces of information, whether you’re planning to upgrade, debug, or simply want to ensure compatibility with a specific feature.
However, there are other methods to get the version of Laravel. Here’s a comprehensive guide with commands that work no matter if you use macOS, any Linux distribution like Ubuntu, Docker or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).
Using the php artisan about command
The about command Artisan offers not only displays the Laravel version but also other helpful information about your project such as the version of PHP you’re running on, Composer’s version, cache drivers, etc.
However, it’s important to note that the about command is only available in Laravel version 9.21 or later.
php artisan about Laravel Version ........................................................ 11.0.8 PHP Version ............................................................. 8.3.3 Composer Version ........................................................ 2.7.1
Using the version() method
The app()
helper will give you access to many information, such as the Laravel version you are running. Try this simple code below:
// 11.0.8 app()->version();
You could use it in a custom dashboard you created:
<ul> <li>PHP: {{ phpversion() }}</li> <li>Laravel: {{ app()->version() }}</li> </ul>
Via Composer in your terminal
Composer offers a handy command to check the version of a specific dependency. Run:
composer show laravel/framework
You will get an incredibly lengthy report about this dependency.
name : laravel/framework descrip. : The Laravel Framework. keywords : framework, laravel versions : * v11.0.8 released : 2024-03-21, this week type : library license : MIT License (MIT) (OSI approved) https://spdx.org/licenses/MIT.html#licenseText homepage : https://laravel.com source : [git] https://github.com/laravel/framework.git 0379a7ccb77e2029c43ce508fa76e251a0d68fce dist : [zip] https://api.github.com/repos/laravel/framework/zipball/0379a7ccb77e2029c43ce508fa76e251a0d68fce 0379a7ccb77e2029c43ce508fa76e251a0d68fce …
In the composer.json and composer.lock files
In your composer.json, you will be able to get the minimum version of Laravel your project is locked on:
"require": { "php": "^8.2", "laravel/framework": "^11.0", "laravel/tinker": "^2.9" },
As you can see, this project is locked on Laravel 11.0.8 or earlier.
But this might not be enough. Since versions earlier than 11.0.8 are supported, you project might use Laravel 11.0.33 or even 11.1.22!
Instead, search for “laravel/framework” inside your composer.lock file to get the exact Laravel version that’s installed on your project :
{ "name": "laravel/framework", "version": "v11.0.8", "source": { "type": "git", "url": "https://github.com/laravel/framework.git", "reference": "0379a7ccb77e2029c43ce508fa76e251a0d68fce" }, }
In the source code
Open your favorite code editor and search for vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php. The exact version of Laravel you are using is written in the VERSION
constant.
class Application extends Container implements ApplicationContract, CachesConfiguration, CachesRoutes, HttpKernelInterface { const VERSION = '11.0.8'; }
This is actually the constant app()->version()
uses. 😀
public function version() { return static::VERSION; }
Did you like this article? Then, keep learning:
- Learn how to fix a common Laravel database error efficiently
- Learn how to fetch accurate PHP version details within Laravel projects
- Complement your knowledge with Laravel cache management techniques
- Explore middleware customization in Laravel 11 with the new app skeleton
- Step-by-step guide to upgrading your Laravel project to the latest version 11
- Evaluate if upgrading to Laravel 11 is worth it for your project
- Discover how to secure your Laravel REST API quickly and effectively
- Understand Laravel's version history to grasp framework evolution
- Explore how Laravel's Artisan command-line tool enhances developer productivity
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