Implementing Custom Pagination Views in Laravel 5

Changes in Laravel 5 Pagination Mechanism

In Laravel 4.2, developers could specify custom pagination views through the 'pagination' option in the app/config/view.php configuration file, for example:

'pagination' => 'pagination_slider-alt'

However, in Laravel 5, this configuration approach has been removed, requiring developers to adopt new methods for implementing custom pagination functionality.

Core Implementation Method

In Laravel 5, pagination functionality can be implemented using the @include directive combined with custom view files. The specific implementation steps are as follows:

Basic Syntax Structure

In the main view file, use the following syntax to include custom pagination views:

@include('view.name', ['object' => $users])

Where view.name is the file path of the custom pagination view, and $users is the object containing pagination data.

Custom Pagination View Implementation

Create a custom pagination view file, for example resources/views/pagination/custom.blade.php:

@if ($object->lastPage() > 1)
<ul class="pagination">
    <li class="{{ ($object->currentPage() == 1) ? ' disabled' : '' }}">
        <a href="{{ $object->url(1) }}">Previous</a>
    </li>
    @for ($i = 1; $i <= $object->lastPage(); $i++)
        <li class="{{ ($object->currentPage() == $i) ? ' active' : '' }}">
            <a href="{{ $object->url($i) }}">{{ $i }}</a>
        </li>
    @endfor
    <li class="{{ ($object->currentPage() == $object->lastPage()) ? ' disabled' : '' }}">
        <a href="{{ $object->url($object->currentPage()+1) }}" >Next</a>
    </li>
</ul>
@endif

Available Pagination Methods

In custom pagination views, the following pagination methods can be accessed through the $object variable:

• currentPage() - Get current page number
• lastPage() - Get total number of pages
• perPage() - Get number of items per page
• url($page) - Generate URL for specified page number
• total() - Get total number of records

Implementation Differences Across Laravel 5 Versions

Laravel 5.0 - 5.2 Versions

In these versions, the @include approach is recommended:

@include('pagination.default', ['paginator' => $users])

Laravel 5.3+ Versions

Starting from Laravel 5.3, a more concise links() method is provided:

{{ $users->links('pagination.default') }}

Advanced Pagination Features

Limiting Displayed Link Count

For pagination with large numbers of pages, limiting the number of displayed links can improve user experience:

<?php
$link_limit = 7;
?>

@if ($object->lastPage() > 1)
    <ul class="pagination">
        <li class="{{ ($object->currentPage() == 1) ? ' disabled' : '' }}">
            <a href="{{ $object->url(1) }}">First</a>
        </li>
        @for ($i = 1; $i <= $object->lastPage(); $i++)
            <?php
            $half_total_links = floor($link_limit / 2);
            $from = $object->currentPage() - $half_total_links;
            $to = $object->currentPage() + $half_total_links;
            if ($object->currentPage() < $half_total_links) {
               $to += $half_total_links - $object->currentPage();
            }
            if ($object->lastPage() - $object->currentPage() < $half_total_links) {
                $from -= $half_total_links - ($object->lastPage() - $object->currentPage()) - 1;
            }
            ?>
            @if ($from < $i && $i < $to)
                <li class="{{ ($object->currentPage() == $i) ? ' active' : '' }}">
                    <a href="{{ $object->url($i) }}">{{ $i }}</a>
                </li>
            @endif
        @endfor
        <li class="{{ ($object->currentPage() == $object->lastPage()) ? ' disabled' : '' }}">
            <a href="{{ $object->url($object->lastPage()) }}">Last</a>
        </li>
    </ul>
@endif

Best Practice Recommendations

In actual development, it's recommended to encapsulate pagination logic in separate view files for easier maintenance and reusability. Additionally, choose the appropriate pagination implementation method based on your Laravel version to ensure code compatibility and maintainability.