Why is Input normalization important in Laravel applications, and what problem does it solve for developers?

Why is Input normalization important in Laravel applications, and what problem does it solve for developers? The key reason to understand input normalization is that Laravel applications are usually composed of several layers that must work together predictably. Requests can be prepared or normalized before validation when an application needs consistent input shapes. Ignoring that boundary can lead to duplicated logic, poor security, unnecessary database work, or code that is difficult to test. Why it matters in practice: Laravel request objects provide a convenient interface for reading query parameters, form input, files, headers, cookies and route values. The specific focus here is input normalization: Requests can be prepared or normalized before validation when an application needs consistent input shapes. This question is designed to test not only terminology, but also how the concept fits into Laravel's request, application, database, security, or deployment workflow.