README

MVC PHP Framework
Created by Feras Altaleb — for educational purposes only.

A lightweight, extensible MVC framework built with native PHP to help you kickstart web applications quickly and efficiently.

Requires PHP 8.0+ (uses native PHP Attributes for routing).

🚀 Features

• MVC Architecture — Clean separation of concerns using the Model-View-Controller pattern.
• Attribute-Based Routing — Symfony-style #[Route] attributes declared directly on controller methods. No central routes file needed.
• Database Abstraction — Easy database interactions via PDO with a built-in AbstractRepository.
• Security — Session hijacking protection, method spoofing, HTTPS detection, and real IP resolution.
• Extensible — Easily add new controllers; routes are auto-discovered via Reflection.
• Lightweight — Minimal dependencies for optimal performance.

🛠️ Getting Started

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/AltalebFeras/template_empty_mvc_for_any_new_project_php_native.git

2. Install Dependencies

composer install

3. Configure Your Environment

• Copy config_example.php and rename it to config.php.
• Update the settings as needed for your environment (development or production):
  • Set up your database connection in config.php.
  • Set your base URL (HOME_URL) in config.php.
  • Configure mail settings in config.php.
  • Set your timezone in src/init.php.

4. Define Your Routes

Routes are defined with the #[Route] attribute directly above each controller method — no central routes file.

use src\Services\Route;

class UserController
{
    // Public page — GET only
    #[Route('/login', methods: ['GET'])]
    public function showLoginForm(): void
    {
        // render login view
    }

    // Form submission — POST only
    #[Route('/login', methods: ['POST'])]
    public function handleLogin(): void
    {
        // process credentials
    }

    // Protected page — requires active session
    #[Route('/dashboard', methods: ['GET'], authRequired: true)]
    public function showDashboard(): void
    {
        // render dashboard view
    }
}

#[Route] parameters:

The router auto-discovers every class inside src/Controllers/ — just create a new controller and add #[Route] attributes.

5. HTML Form Method Spoofing

HTML forms only support GET and POST. To send PUT, PATCH, or DELETE, add a hidden field:

<form method="POST" action="/resource/1">
    <input type="hidden" name="_method" value="DELETE">
    ...
</form>

ConfigRouter::getMethod() will resolve the effective method automatically.

6. Run the Application

Access your application in the browser:

http://localhost/path-to-your-project/public

📁 Directory Structure

public/                   # Web root — point your server / virtual host here
│   index.php             # Single entry point
│   .htaccess             # URL rewriting (Apache)
└── assets/               # CSS, JS, images

src/
├── init.php              # Bootstrap: session, autoloader, config, router
├── Abstracts/
│   ├── AbstractController.php   # render() and redirect() helpers
│   └── AbstractRepository.php  # CRUD helpers (getAll, getById, create, …)
├── Controllers/          # Your controllers — add #[Route] attributes here
├── Entities/             # Plain PHP entity classes (hydrated via Hydration trait)
├── Migrations/           # SQL migration files
├── Repositories/         # Repository classes extending AbstractRepository
├── Services/
│   ├── Route.php         # #[Route] PHP attribute definition
│   ├── router.php        # Auto-discovers and dispatches routes via Reflection
│   ├── ConfigRouter.php  # HTTP utilities: getMethod, redirect, isAjax, getClientIp…
│   ├── Database.php      # PDO connection wrapper
│   ├── Encrypt_decrypt.php
│   ├── Hydration.php     # Trait for automatic entity hydration
│   ├── Mail.php          # PHPMailer wrapper
│   └── Validator.php
└── Views/                # PHP view templates

🔒 Security Utilities (ConfigRouter)

🧰 Best Practices

• Use $authRequired: true on routes that require a logged-in user.
• Never expose the src/ directory — only public/ should be the web root.
• Store passwords with password_hash() / password_verify().
• Validate and sanitize all user input at the controller level.
• Test your application thoroughly before deploying to production.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome!
If you have suggestions for improvements or new features, please open an issue or submit a pull request.

👤 Author

Feras Altaleb
GitHub

⭐️ Enjoy building amazing web applications with this simple MVC framework!