A code snippet from a laravel project I wrote

FlowController.php

    /**
     * Saves post to database
     * @param Request $request
     * @return \Illuminate\Http\RedirectResponse|\Illuminate\Routing\Redirector
     */
    public function post(Request $request)
    {
        //Models
        $posts = new Post();
        $hashtags = new Hashtag();
        $entries = new Fileentry();
        //Check Authentication
        if(!Auth::check()) return redirect('/');
        $referer = $request->server('HTTP_REFERER');
        $kafe_id=0;
        //If sended in a kafe
        if (strpos($referer,'kafe') != false)
        {
            $kafe_id= $request->kafe_hidden;
        }
        else $kafe_id=0;
        //If user is not a subscriber of kafe, set kafe_id=0
        if(!Auth::user()->kafes()->where('kafe_id',$kafe_id)->first()) $kafe_id=0;
        //Chars number limited by user permission
        if(Auth::user()->permissions==0)
        {
            $this->validate(
                $request,
                [
                    'post' => 'required_without_all:img,img_hidden,video|max:280',
                    'img'=>'mimes:jpeg,bmp,png|max:2048',
                    'video'=>'mimes:mp4,mov,quicktime,qt|max:10000',
                    'location'=>'max:32'
                ],
                [ ],
                [
                    'post' => trans('global_texts.gonderi'),
                    'img_hidden'=>trans('global_texts.gorsellerin'),
                    'img'=>'',
                    'video'=>'video',
                    'location'=>'Konum'
                ]);
        }
        elseif(Auth::user()->permissions==1 or Auth::user()->permissions==2 or Auth::user()->permissions==3)
        {
           $this->validate(
               $request,
               [
                   'post' => 'required_without_all:img,img_hidden,video|max:500',
                   'img'=>'mimes:jpeg,bmp,png|max:2048',
                   'video'=>'mimes:mp4,mov,quicktime,qt|max:10000',
                   'location'=>'max:32'
               ],
               [ ],
               [
                   'post' => trans('global_texts.gonderi'),
                   'img_hidden'=>trans('global_texts.gorsellerin'),
                   'img'=>'',
                   'video'=>'video',
                   'location'=>'Konum'
               ]);
        }
        $post = htmlspecialchars($request->post);   //Get value of post textarea
        $parsed_hashtags = getHashtags($post);      //Parse hashtags
        $parsed_mentions = getMentions($post);      //Parse mentions
        $db = convert_clickable_links($post);       //Parse and convert normal and youtube links to <a> tag
        $entry_id=0;
        $video_entry_id=0;
        $data= base64_decode(str_replace(' ','+',str_replace('data:image/jpeg;base64,', '', $request->img_hidden)));
        if($data==false or $request->img_hidden=='' or $request->img_hidden==null)
        {
            //If image has sent with regular way
            if($request->hasFile('img'))
            {
                $file = $request->file('img');
                $extension = $file->getClientOriginalExtension();
                Storage::disk('local')->put('/posts/' . $file->getFilename() . '.' . $extension, File::get($file));
                $entry_id =
                    $entries->create(
                        [
                            'mime' => $file->getClientMimeType(),
                            'original_filename' => $file->getClientOriginalName(),
                            'filename' => $file->getFilename() . '.' . $extension
                        ])->id;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            $name=rand(1000000000,2147483647).'.jpg';
            Storage::disk('local')->put('/posts/' . $name, $data);
            $entry_id =
                $entries->create(
                    [
                        'mime' => 'image/jpeg',
                        'original_filename' => $name,
                        'filename' => $name
                    ])->id;
        }
        //If video sent
        if($request->hasFile('video'))
        {
            $video_file = $request->file('video');
            $extension = $video_file->getClientOriginalExtension();
            Storage::disk('local')->put('/posts/' . $video_file->getFilename() . '.' . $extension, File::get($video_file));
            $video_entry_id =
                $entries->create(
                    [
                        'mime' => $video_file->getClientMimeType(),
                        'original_filename' => $video_file->getClientOriginalName(),
                        'filename' => $video_file->getFilename() . '.' . $extension
                    ])->id;
        }
        //If post is a reply
        if (isset($request->post_hidden) and $request->post_hidden!=0)
        {
            //Save post to table with mentions, links, entries and kafe id if set.
            $username = Post::find($request->post_hidden)->user->username;
            if(!in_array($username,$parsed_mentions)) return redirect()->back()->withErrors([trans('global_texts.gonderi_bahset')]);
            $post_id =
                $posts->create(
                    [
                        'user_id' => Auth::id(),
                        'post' => $db,
                        'mentions' => $parsed_mentions,
                        'reply_id'=>$request->post_hidden,
                        'kafe_id'=>$kafe_id,
                        'entry_id'=>$entry_id,
                        'video_entry_id'=>$video_entry_id,
                        'location'=>trim($request->location)
                    ])->id;
            $replied_user_id=$posts->find($request->post_hidden)->user_id;
            $replied_user_name=User::find($replied_user_id)->username;
            //Save notifications to table
            foreach($parsed_mentions as $mention)
            {
                if($mention!=Auth::user()->username)
                {
                    if ($mention == $replied_user_name)
                    {
                        Notifynder::category('user.reply')
                            ->from(Auth::id())
                            ->to($replied_user_id)
                            ->url((string)$request->post_hidden)
                            ->send();
                    } else
                    {
                        $to = User::where('username', $mention)->first()->id;
                        Notifynder::category('user.mention')
                            ->from(Auth::id())
                            ->to($to)
                            ->url((string)$post_id)
                            ->send();
                    }
                }
            }
            //Save hashtags to table
            foreach ($parsed_hashtags as $tags)
            {
                $hashtags->firstOrCreate(
                    [
                        'user_id' => Auth::id(),
                        'hashtag' => $tags,
                        'post_id' => $post_id
                    ]);
            }
        }
        //If post is not a reply
        else
        {
            //Save post to table with mentions, links, entries and kafe id if set.
            $post_id =
                $posts->create(
                    [
                        'user_id' => Auth::id(),
                        'post' => $db,
                        'mentions' => $parsed_mentions,
                        'kafe_id'=>$kafe_id,
                        'entry_id'=>$entry_id,
                        'video_entry_id'=>$video_entry_id,
                        'location'=>trim($request->location)
                    ])->id;
            //Save notifications to table
            foreach($parsed_mentions as $mention)
            {
                if($mention!=Auth::user()->username)
                {
                    $to = User::where('username', $mention)->first()->id;
                    Notifynder::category('user.mention')
                        ->from(Auth::id())
                        ->to($to)
                        ->url((string)$post_id)
                        ->send();
                }
            }
            //Save hashtags to table
            foreach ($parsed_hashtags as $tags)
            {
                $hashtags->firstOrCreate(
                    [
                        'user_id' => Auth::id(),
                        'hashtag' => $tags,
                        'post_id' => $post_id
                    ]);
            }
        }
        return redirect()->back();
    }