Tracking user login status, online presence, and last seen timestamp are essential features for many web applications. In Laravel 10, you can implement these functionalities using Eloquent models, middleware, and event listeners. In this example, we'll walk you through the process of checking user login status, online presence, and last seen timestamp in a Laravel application.
Step 1: Set Up the Database
First, create a new migration to add the necessary columns for tracking user status to the users table.
php artisan make:migration add_user_status_columns_to_users_table --table=users
In the generated migration file, add the following columns:
public function up()
{
Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
$table->boolean('is_online')->default(false);
$table->timestamp('last_seen_at')->nullable();
});
}
Run the migration to update the database:
php artisan migrate
Step 2: Create a User Model
Next, we'll update the User model to include the newly added columns.
namespace App\Models;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
class User extends Model
{
protected $fillable = ['name', 'email', 'password', 'is_online', 'last_seen_at'];
// Your existing User model code
}
Step 3: Implement User Status Middleware
Create a new middleware that sets the user's online status when they make a request to the application. We'll also update the user's last seen timestamp.
php artisan make:middleware UserStatusMiddleware
In the generated UserStatusMiddleware.php file, add the following logic:
namespace App\Http\Middleware;
use Closure;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
class UserStatusMiddleware
{
public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
if (Auth::check()) {
$user = Auth::user();
$user->is_online = true;
$user->last_seen_at = now();
$user->save();
}
return $next($request);
}
}
Step 4: Register the Middleware
Register the UserStatusMiddleware in the app/Http/Kernel.php file by adding it to the $middleware array.
protected $middleware = [
// Other middleware
\App\Http\Middleware\UserStatusMiddleware::class,
];
Step 5: Create an Event Listener
Now, we'll create an event listener to update the user's online status when they log in and log out of the application.
php artisan make:listener UpdateUserStatusListener
In the generated UpdateUserStatusListener.php file, implement the logic to handle user login and logout events:
namespace App\Listeners;
use Illuminate\Auth\Events\Login;
use Illuminate\Auth\Events\Logout;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
class UpdateUserStatusListener
{
public function handleLogin(Login $event)
{
$user = Auth::user();
$user->is_online = true;
$user->save();
}
public function handleLogout(Logout $event)
{
$user = Auth::user();
$user->is_online = false;
$user->save();
}
}
Step 6: Bind the Listener
Bind the UpdateUserStatusListener to the events in the EventServiceProvider.php:
protected $listen = [
// Other listeners
\Illuminate\Auth\Events\Login::class => [
\App\Listeners\UpdateUserStatusListener::class,
],
\Illuminate\Auth\Events\Logout::class => [
\App\Listeners\UpdateUserStatusListener::class,
],
];
Step 7: Display User Status in Views
In your application's views, you can display the user's online status and last seen timestamp:
@if(Auth::check())
@if(Auth::user()->is_online)
<p>User is online</p>
@else
<p>User was last seen at {{ Auth::user()->last_seen_at->diffForHumans() }}</p>
@endif
@endif
Step 8: Test the Functionality
Now, you can test the user login status, online presence, and last seen timestamp functionality in your Laravel application. Log in and log out with different users to observe the changes in their online status and last seen timestamp.
Conclusion
Implementing user login status, online presence, and last seen timestamp in Laravel 10 is a valuable addition to your web application. By following this example and using middleware, event listeners, and the Eloquent model, you can easily track user activities and improve user experience.