README

Packages YES, Framework NO!

What is it?

Call it "Glue" or call it "Boilerplate". "No-Framework" aims to give you a head start for development with a simple and understandable foundation.

"No-framework" is based on popular and proven packages which are easily exchangeable with others you like or already know.

Mainly the following packages are used: For dependency injection PHP-DI, for Database access and queries Medoo, for Templating Plates and a few others... And also little self written code as "glue" in between.

Why No-Framework

• I want to have control and I want to understand what I'm doing.
  
• I want to start small and extend if necessary.
  
• I want to focus on the solution, not the framework.
  
• I want to develop fast but without reinventing the wheel.
  
• I want to use interchangeable components.
  

The basic answer to satisfy all these needs are packages. Packages as extendable, exchangeable components. With Composer and Packagist the PHP ecosystem offers a perfect solution for this.

What it's not!

It's not another PHP framework. There are already great frameworks out there. Full-fledged like Laravel or Synfony and also Micro-Frameworks like Slim and others.

Using a framework offers some great advantages but has also a few drawbacks. In short that's the following:

• PROs: Fast Development, Security, Documentation, Maintenance and Community.
• CONs: Generic solution that might not suit your needs, limited control, time to learn and understand, overhead and slower execution.

Getting Started

Use Git or Composer:

git clone https://github.com/unicate/no-framework.git my-project-name
composer install

composer create-project unicate/no-framework my-project-name

The "Task List" Demo is a simple example application. Download the code and see what happens. To help you understand, a view hints and principles:

• Important: Setup a local Test-Database with the code in db/.
• Important: Copy the .env-default to .env in app/config and enter DB connection details.
• Important: To start the local PHP server, just execute serve.sh.
• The architecture is based on the MVC pattern.
• Objects are only created by the Dependency Injection container and configured in app/config/dependencies.php
• All environment dependent configuration is done in app/config/.env.
• Routes are defined in app/config/routes.php.
• If you want to change file paths, use app/core/constants.php.
• Your controller should extend AbstractController class.
• Only CSS and JS files should be located in the public directory.
• If you like to exchange a basic package, have a look at app/config/dependencies.php and the service classes in app/services.

Folder structure is pretty self explaining:

-- app
|  |-- core
|  |-- config
|  |-- middlewares
|  |-- utils
|  |-- models
|  |-- logs
|  |-- controllers
|  |-- views
|  |  |-- templates
|  |-- services
|-- public
|  |-- css
|  |-- js
|-- db
|-- vendor

Disclaimer & License

This code should help you build your own solution. It's not mature and fully tested software. You use anything at your own risk. Have fun with it.

No-Framework is released under the MIT licence.

Finally

Now go and build something and make people happy!