miniPHP

A tiny PHP project template for small websites, internal tools, APIs, and personal projects.

miniPHP is not a framework.

There is no Composer requirement, no dependency injection container, no ORM, no service providers, and no framework lifecycle to learn.

Just plain PHP with a simple router, helper functions, optional SQLite support, and a project structure that stays out of your way.

Philosophy

The goal is simple:

1. Clone the repository
2. Run init_miniphp.sh
3. Start building

If a feature can be implemented with a few lines of plain PHP, prefer that approach.

miniPHP exists for developers who want:

• A clean starting point
• Full control over their code
• Zero framework lock-in
• Zero external dependencies

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Features

• Zero dependencies
• No Composer required
• Simple config-based router
• Page and API endpoints
• Route prefix support
• SQLite support via PDO
• Shared view partials
• Helper functions
• Path traversal protection
• Development server script
• Project initialization script

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Quick Start

Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url> my-project
cd my-project

Initialize the project:

./init_miniphp.sh

The initializer will:

• Remove the template git remote
• Generate a new README
• Prepare the project for a new repository

Then create your own repository and connect it:

git remote add origin <your-repository-url>
git push -u origin main

Start building.

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Requirements

• PHP 8.1+
• PDO SQLite extension (optional)

View installed extensions:

php -m

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Project Structure

config/
├── database.php
└── routes.php

public/
├── css/
│   └── app.css
└── js/
│   └── app.js

src/
├── api/
├── views/
│   ├── pages/
│   └── partials/
├── bootstrap.php
├── database.php
├── helpers.php
└── router.php

storage/
└── database.sqlite

index.php
server.sh
init_miniphp.sh

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Running

Start the development server:

./server.sh

Default URL:

http://127.0.0.1:3333

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Routing

Routes are defined in:

config/routes.php

Example:

return [
    'GET' => [
        '/'         => 'home.php',
        '/about'    => 'about.php',
        '/api/test' => 'api/example.php',
    ],
];

Route Prefixes

By default page routes resolve to:

src/views/pages/

Additional route prefixes can be registered:

$route_bases = [
    'api/' => ROOT . '/src/api',
];

Example:

'/api/users' => 'api/users.php',

loads:

src/api/users.php

while:

'/about' => 'about.php',

loads:

src/views/pages/about.php

Creating New Route Types

Create a new directory:

src/docs/

Register it:

$route_bases = [
    'api/'  => ROOT . '/src/api',
    'docs/' => ROOT . '/src/docs',
];

Now:

'/docs/getting-started' => 'docs/getting-started.php',

resolves to:

src/docs/getting-started.php

No router modifications required.

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Pages

Create:

src/views/pages/contact.php

Example:

<?php partial('head', ['title' => 'Contact']); ?>

<h1>Contact</h1>

<p>Get in touch.</p>

<?php partial('footer'); ?>

Register the route:

'GET' => [
    '/contact' => 'contact.php',
],

Visit:

http://localhost:3333/contact

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API Endpoints

Create:

src/api/contact.php

Example:

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

header('Content-Type: application/json');

echo json_encode([ 'success' => true, ]);

Register the route:

'GET' => [
    '/api/contact' => 'api/contact.php',
],

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Database

Configuration:

config/database.php

Usage:

$db = db();

$rows = $db->query( 'SELECT * FROM users')->fetchAll();

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Helpers

Included helpers:

escape_string()
debug()
debugx()
get_config()
partial()

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License

MIT