Laravel Controller method not found for homepage - php

Question

I am aware that my code is slightly wrong (hence my post!). I am wanting my 'home' view to be displayed when a visitor accesses the '/' part of the website.
Currently, the view works when a user accesses the '/home' part of the website. I am currently pulling my hair out on how to do this!
Route.php:
Route::controller('/', 'HomeController');
Route::controller('users', 'UsersController');
Route::get('events/{id}/{slug}', 'EventsController#show');
Route::controller('events', 'EventsController');
HomeController.php:
<?php
class HomeController extends BaseController {
protected $layout = "layouts.main";
public function getHome(){
$events = myApp\Event::where('date','>=', DB::raw('CURDATE()'))->first();
$this->layout->content = View::make('home', array('events' => $events));
}
}
Home.blade.php:
<div class="col-md-4">
<h2>Next Event</h2>
<h3>{{$events->title}}</h3>
<p>Presented by {{ $events->consultant()->first()->title }} {{ $events->consultant()->first()->surname }}</p>
<b><p>{{ date("j F Y", strtotime($events->date)) }} from {{ date("g:ia", strtotime($events->start_time)) }}</p></b>
<a class="btn btn-success" href="{{ URL::to('events/' . $events->slug) }}">Book your place now.</a>
</div>
I have managed to get the view working with the '/' directory by using this within my routes.php:
Route::get('/', function(){
return View::make('home');
});
However, I am presented with the error:
Undefined variable: events (View:/Users/Sites/gp/app/views/home.blade.php).
It's as if, the HomeController isn't passing the 'events' array into the view, by just changing the route?! Any help/remedy/explanation would be hugely appreciated.

Answer 1

That's how Laravel RESTful controllers works, but you can create a new route for /, before your other routes, pointing to that action:
Route::controller('users', 'UsersController');
Route::get('events/{id}/{slug}', 'EventsController#show');
Route::controller('events', 'EventsController');
Route::get('/', 'HomeController#getHome');
Route::controller('/', 'HomeController');
EDIT
You have to understand that the Laravel Routing System tries to resolve a route as fast as it can, so if it finds a route that fits the current URI, it will use that route and forget about all the others. An example:
Route::get('/{variable}' 'Controller#action');
This is pretty generic route and can be resolved to anything, even
http://your-site.dev/events
So, if you add that route before this one:
Route::get('events/{id}/{slug}', 'EventsController#show');
Your events route will never be hit. That's why your most generic route have to be the last one.