In Laravel 8, the default folder and file structure follows a modular approach that organizes different components of your application. Here's an overview of the key files and folders in a fresh Laravel 8 installation:

1. app directory:

   • Console: Contains artisan commands.
   • Exceptions: Holds exception handler classes.
   • Http: Contains controllers, middleware, and form requests.
   • Models: Typically used for your application's Eloquent models.
   • Providers: Contains service providers that bootstrap various components of your application.

2. bootstrap directory:

   • app.php: Initializes the Laravel framework.

3. config directory:

   • Contains various configuration files for different aspects of your application, such as database connections, caching, mail, and more.

4. database directory:

   • migrations: Contains database migration files for managing database schema changes.
   • seeders: Holds seeder classes for populating the database with test data.

5. public directory:

   • Contains the entry point for your application (index.php) and assets such as CSS, JavaScript, and images.

6. resources directory:

   • css, js, sass: Directories for your frontend assets.
   • views: Contains the Blade template files for your application's views.

7. routes directory:

   • Contains route definition files (web.php, api.php, etc.) for defining application routes.

8. storage directory:

   • Contains application logs, cached files, and other temporary files generated by Laravel.

9. tests directory:

   • Contains test classes for performing unit tests, feature tests, and other types of automated testing.

10. vendor directory:

    • Contains third-party dependencies installed via Composer.

Additionally, there are several other important files in the root directory of your Laravel 8 project:

• .env: Environment configuration file where you set various environment-specific settings.
• artisan: Command-line interface for Laravel, used for running commands and managing your application.
• composer.json: Defines your application's dependencies and scripts.
• package.json and webpack.mix.js: Configuration files for managing frontend assets using Laravel Mix.

Remember that you can customize this structure according to your project's requirements. Laravel provides flexibility in organizing your code by leveraging features like namespaces and service providers.