I recently started a role as a PHP/Laravel developer where the job listing demanded 7 years of Laravel experience—a requirement that seemed overly detailed until I reviewed the project. The assignment is built on Laravel 5.4, a version released in 2017, meaning the codebase is 7 years old. I checked with my recruiter and confirmed that they were specifically looking for someone experienced with this older version of Laravel.
The requirement for a specific number of years of experience often reflects a need for familiarity with legacy systems rather than just general proficiency. In similar roles I held, the experience with an older version of a framework meant understanding the inherent limitations and nuances that are unique to that version. It minimizes additional training time and ensures effectiveness in maintaining, troubleshooting, or gradually updating the codebase. Such experience translates to fewer performance issues and smoother transitions when integrating with current business logic.
i think workin with older frameworks is kind of like decodin a secret language. ever notice how these quirks can spur creative fixes? what are ur experiences with bridging old tech and new ideas?
i get that sticking with older versions saves the hassle of relearning new patterns, plus they carry quirks only time can reveal. experience with old tech often means less debugging in the long run.