README

Microlite

A fast, lightweight, modern PHP microframework inspired by Laravel — fully PSR-15 compliant.

Build APIs, microservices, or small apps with zero bloat. Simple, speedy, and scalable.

About

Microlite is a modern, ultra-lightweight PHP microframework built for developers who want simplicity, speed, and complete control over their application architecture. Designed for projects where a full-stack framework is unnecessary or too heavy, Microlite provides the essential tools you need — and nothing you don’t.

Inspired by the elegance and developer-friendly structure of Laravel, Microlite offers a familiar and intuitive workflow without requiring you to learn a new ecosystem. If you enjoy the Laravel style but need something significantly smaller and faster, Microlite is the perfect fit.

Fully PSR-15 compliant, minimal by design, and highly flexible, Microlite allows you to extend or customize every layer. Whether you're building micro-services, APIs, or small high-performance applications, Microlite keeps your stack clean and efficient.

Contributions are welcome — feel free to star the project, open issues, or submit PRs! 🚀

Why Microlite?

Perfect when you love Laravel's style but hate the overhead.

Features

• Zero Bloat — Only what you need
• FastRoute — Blazing fast routing
• Medoo ORM — Lightweight database layer
• PSR-15 Middleware — Full stack support
• .env Config — Simple environment management
• CLI Tools — Symfony Console commands
• PHP Views — With helpers (view(), e(), auth())
• Session Auth — Built-in authentication helper
• Testing Ready — PHPUnit + examples

Installation

composer create-project mhvefgh/microlite my-app
cd my-app
cp .env.example .env
php -S localhost:8000 -t public

Open → http://localhost:8000

Quick Start

1. Routes (routes/web.php)

<?php
return function ($app) {
    $router = $app->router();

    $router->get('/', 'HomeController@index');
    $router->get('/hello/{name}', 'HomeController@hello');
    $router->get('/dashboard', 'DashboardController@index')->middleware('auth');
};

2. Controller (app/Controllers/HomeController.php)

<?php
namespace App\Controllers;

use Src\Core\Controller;
use Src\Core\Request;

class HomeController extends Controller
{
    public function index(Request $req): string
    {
        return view('home', [
            'title' => 'Welcome to Microlite',
            'user'  => auth()
        ], 'layouts.main');
    }

    public function hello(Request $req, string $name): string
    {
        return "<h1>Hello, " . e($name) . "!</h1>";
    }
}

3. View (resources/views/home.php)

<h1 class="text-4xl font-bold"><?= $title ?></h1>
<p>Welcome to Microlite! <?= auth() ? 'Logged in as ' . e(auth()->name) : 'Guest' ?></p>
<a href="/hello/World" class="text-blue-600 underline">Say Hello →</a>

Database & Model Example

// app/Models/User.php
<?php
namespace App\Models;

use Src\Core\Model;

class User extends Model
{
    protected string $table = 'users';
    protected array $fillable = ['name', 'email', 'password'];

    public function save(): bool
    {
        if ($this->password) {
            $this->password = password_hash($this->password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
        }
        return parent::save();
    }
}

// In controller
$user = new User([
    'name' => 'Ali',
    'email' => 'ali@example.com',
    'password' => '123456'
]);
$user->save();

Middleware Example

// app/Middleware/AuthMiddleware.php
<?php
namespace App\Middleware;

use Src\Core\Middleware;
use Src\Core\Request;

class AuthMiddleware extends Middleware
{
    public function handle(Request $request, callable $next)
    {
        if (!auth()) redirect('/login');
        return $next($request);
    }
}

Project Structure

my-app/
├── app/              # Controllers, Models, Middleware
├── public/           # index.php (entry point)
├── resources/views/  # PHP templates
├── routes/           # web.php
├── src/              # Framework core
├── tests/            # PHPUnit tests
├── .env.example
└── composer.json

CLI Commands

# Show Microlite information (default command)
php microlite
php microlite about

# Start the development server (like php artisan serve)
php microlite serve
php microlite serve --host=0.0.0.0 --port=8080

# Generate a new controller
php microlite make:controller UserController
php microlite make:controller Admin/PostController

# Generate a new model
php microlite make:model Post
php microlite make:model ProductCategory

# Clear application cache
php microlite cache:clear

# Get help for any command
php microlite --help
php microlite serve --help

Available Commands

Tip: Just run php microlite with no arguments to see the beautiful welcome screen!

Testing

composer test

Contributing

We love contributions!

Fork → Create branch → Commit → Push → Pull Request

Author

Mohammad Hossein Vefgh
Full-Stack PHP Developer | Open Source Enthusiast

• GitHub: @mhvefgh
• Email: vefgh.m.hossein@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: Mohammad Hossein Vefgh

License

Released under the MIT License.

Copyright © 2025 Mohammad Hossein Vefgh

If you like Microlite, give it a ⭐

Microlite — Laravel-style, but microlite.