README

μfw is short for micro framework - that is the real name; UFW is the ASCII spelling so nobody has to chase μ on the keyboard. A compact PHP stack for people who still like PHP, and for people who must use it even if they do not love it.

Probably not for you if:

You have decided PHP is a dead language and nothing written in it should ever run in production.
You want Express-style routing (app->get('/foo', …) chains in code). UFW defaults to routes in config and dispatch conventions - patterns can be literal or regex; there is no app->get façade out of the box.
You expect batteries-included auth, ORM, and GraphQL. UFW gives you HTTP plumbing, forms, a MySQL helper, and opinions - you bring the domain.
You need the framework to natively cover React Server Components, Next.js-shaped routing, tRPC, Bun/Deno, edge/serverless-first deploys, Vite-centric SPAs, or full-stack TypeScript. HTTP here is PHP (Laminas, middleware, server-rendered HTML or JSON); bring a Node BFF if your bingo card requires the rest.
Your motto is "DI or die": constructor injection everywhere, PSR-11 purity, no singletons, no service locator. UFW is fine with Registry, Db::instance(), and helpers via __call.

Might be for you if:

You care that the stack has years behind it: UFW has been running production code for 8+ years, not a throwaway prototype.
You want to ship - a page, a form, an endpoint - without the framework eating the time you meant to spend on the product.
You want PSR-7-ish requests/responses, Laminas middleware, and controllers without importing half of Packagist.
You are fine with convention over endless configuration files, but still want modules, route types, and per-controller middleware.
You want Zend-style forms and server-side validators so a malicious client cannot bypass checks - UI/UX convenience on the client can still sit on top.
You like batteries-included defaults but refuse to be locked in: if stock Record\Base or Controller\Base is wrong for a corner of the app, you replace them in your namespace and move on.
Your template engine (Twig, Blade, whatever) and architecture (MVC, CQRS, DDD, hexagonal, …) are non-negotiable. Swap, extend, or replace views, records, models, and helpers as needed.

Documentation

→ Documentation index - quick taste (~15 min) · full guides (Parts A–D + Next links). The guides stress intent and tradeoffs so you can choose deliberately.

Guide	What you get
Getting started	"Hello world" in about 15 minutes - composer, front controller, one route.
Workable demos · ufw-extras	Companion repo: minimal / skeleton / API / i18n / full-CRUD demo apps, plus recipes (assets build, cron, i18n, autoload) and middleware snippets. The fastest way to see UFW in real shape.
Evaluation FAQ	Should we use UFW? TL;DR, poor/strong fit, license, hosting.
Framework analysis	Honest review: strengths, gaps, recommendations.
Bootstrap & registry	Front controller, `Application`, `Registry`.
Middleware	Pipe, JSON, layout, auth.
Responses: multiformat	One action → HTML, JSON, or XHR fragment; `Response::registerFormat()`.
Flavors / multi-app	Env + flavor - app pattern, not core UFW.
Security · SECURITY.md	Deployment checklist and vulnerability reporting.
Contributing	PR style, scope rules, local checks.
Changelog	Full history of releases and changes.
License	0BSD

Install

composer require ctebah/ufw

Your application still defines APPLICATION_PATH, boots Application, and loads config/app.php - this package is the library, not a turnkey installer. See Getting started for the smallest end-to-end example.

Author

Original author: ctebah · Repository: github.com/ctebah/ufw. If you fork UFW, ship it in a product, or write about it, a mention of the project (and optionally the name above) is appreciated - not required by the license, but it keeps the universe slightly more polite.

License

Zero-Clause BSD (0BSD) - use, change, and redistribute freely for any purpose. The software is provided as-is; the author is not liable for damages arising from its use (standard open-source liability limitation, not a joke license).

SPDX: 0BSD

_{μfw · micro framework}

ctebah / ufw

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