Using middleware in laravel to determine page visits - laravel

Question

Public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
$count = 0;
$time = now();
$visitor = "Someone";
if (request("visitor") == "Someone" && $count == 0) {
$count++;
\Mail::raw('You have a new page visit at ' . $time ' ' . $count . '', function ($note) {
$note->to('manager#mail.com');
});
return $next($request);
} else {
return abort (404);
}
This code is just a simple middleware to check a page visit in laravel. It‘a working fine and I’m receiving the email via log. However, the count is just 1 on every page hit. It doesn’t increase to 2, 3......
I really need help to be able to count the page hits regardless of who or what visits, even regardless of IP. Plus how do I fetch the counts to a view and also save it in the database. I really need help as I’m still a learner. Please help!

Answer 1

I did something similar once to this, but for the system's issues encountered by users. Since you want to measure traffic (using the database), the scenario is kinda similar. Let's say you have a table called traffic, so the logic in regards that traffic would be placed in the handle function at the middleware as you have but measuring traffic like this:
public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
$time = now(); // #Todo: check timezone in the config/app.php
$visitor = $request->ip();
$traffic = Traffic::where('visitor', $visitor)->first();
if ($traffic) {
// Resident visitor
$traffic->visits++;
$traffic->update();
} else {
// New visitor
$traffic = new Traffic(['visitor' => $visitor]);
$traffic->save();
$totalTraffic = Traffic::all()->sum('visits');
$totalVisitors = Traffic::all()->count();
// Email notification
\Mail::raw("There is a new visitor at {$time} from ip {$visitor}.\nIn total there are {$totalVisitors} visitors, and over all you have {$totalTraffic} visits.", function ($note) {
$note->to('manager#mail.com');
});
}
return $next($request);
}
Keep in mind you can improve this solution by moving the traffic logic into the Traffic model by implementing a boot function inside the model, that would look cleaner. More info https://laravel.com/docs/7.x/eloquent#observers
Sorry I got late, hope it helps though...
Solution 2:
You could also create a migration or run the following statement in your database, setting a default column for visits as 1, since it won't change every time a new one is created.
ALTER TABLE traffic ALTER visits SET DEFAULT 1;
Traffic Model:
class Traffic extends Model
{
protected $fillable = ['visitor' , 'visits'];
protected static function boot()
{
parent::boot();
static::saving(function ($traffic) {
if ($traffic->visits) {
$traffic->visits++;
}
});
}
}
TrafficMiddleware:
public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
$time = now();
$visitor = $request->ip();
$traffic = Traffic::firstOrCreate(['visitor' => $visitor]);
$traffic->save();
//Email notification
$totalTraffic = Traffic::all()->sum('visits');
$totalVisitors = Traffic::all()->count();
\Mail::raw("New visit at {$time} from {$visitor}. You have over all {$totalTraffic} visits from {$totalVisitors} visitors.", function ($note) {
$note->to('manager#mail.com');
});
return $next($request);
}

Answer 2

First, if you redeclare $count every time, it will never increase.
Second, you're checking if $count is equal to 0 before sending the message, so even if it did increase, you would not send the mail next time.
One way to persist the count value would be using cache.
public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
// retrieve cached value for 'page_visits'. If it doesn't exist, return 0 instead
$count = cache('page_visits', 1);
$visitor = request()->ip();
$time = now();
\Mail::raw("You have a new page visit at {$time->isoFormat('LLLL')} from {$visitor}. Total: {$count}", function ($note) {
$note->to('manager#mail.com');
});
cache()->put('page_visits', ++$count);
return $next($request);
}