How to Pass Variables from a Controller to a Blade View

Problem: You need to display data from your controller in a Blade view but aren't sure of the best way to pass variables.

Solution:

// Method 1: Using with()
public function index()
{
    $users = User::all();
    $title = 'User List';
    
    return view('users.index')
        ->with('users', $users)
        ->with('title', $title);
}

// Method 2: Using array in view()
public function show($id)
{
    $user = User::findOrFail($id);
    $posts = $user->posts;
    
    return view('users.show', [
        'user' => $user,
        'posts' => $posts,
        'postCount' => $posts->count()
    ]);
}

// Method 3: Using compact() (recommended)
public function dashboard()
{
    $stats = ['users' => 100, 'posts' => 500];
    $recentPosts = Post::latest()->take(5)->get();
    $notifications = auth()->user()->notifications;
    
    return view('dashboard', compact('stats', 'recentPosts', 'notifications'));
}

// In your Blade view (users/index.blade.php)
<h1>{{ $title }}</h1>
@foreach ($users as $user)
    <p>{{ $user->name }}</p>
@endforeach

// Method 4: Using View::share() for global variables
// In AppServiceProvider boot()
View::share('appName', config('app.name'));

Why it works: Laravel's view system accepts data as an associative array where keys become variable names in the view. compact() creates an array from variable names, making it cleaner for multiple variables. with() is chainable and good for conditional data.

Best practice: Use compact() for multiple variables, array syntax for explicit key-value pairs, and with() when chaining conditions or adding data dynamically.

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