Genelet PHP

Genelet PHP is a small PHP web framework for JSON-described CRUD-style web applications. A Genelet app keeps its runtime contract in conf/config.json and per-component component.json files, then supplies generated or hand-written Filter and Model classes for each component.

The framework is intentionally legacy-friendly: it uses Composer and PDO, keeps numeric framework error strings stable, and does not require Laravel, Symfony, or a modern full-stack PHP framework.

How It Works

Requests are routed by path:

<Script>/<role>/<tag>/<component>
<Script>/<role>/<tag>/<component>/<id>

config.json defines the project namespace, script path, roles, chartags, authentication providers, templates, and database connection settings. Each component's component.json defines tables, keys, available actions, validation, aliases, groups, fields, foreign-key helpers, and optional next-page model calls.

For a component named question in project namespace Jenny, the application provides:

Jenny\Question\Filter
Jenny\Question\Model

At request time the controller parses the request, creates the filter and model, fills ARGS, executes the requested action, and returns JSON or renders a template depending on the chartag.

Repository Layout

• src/ - framework runtime.
• tests/ - PHPUnit regression tests.
• samples/project-php - sample application using this package through a local Composer path repository.
• views/ - minimal framework views used by tests and defaults.
• conf/test.conf - test configuration.
• scripts/ - Docker-based test harnesses.

Installation

git clone git@github.com:genelet/php.git
cd php
composer install

Test

Run the local PHPUnit suite:

composer test

The default tests expect a MySQL database named test with user genelet_test and a blank password.

Without local PHP, Composer, or MySQL, run the isolated Docker harness:

./scripts/test-docker.sh

The script builds a PHP 8.3 test image, starts a disposable MySQL 8 container, installs Composer dependencies, lints src/ and tests/, and runs PHPUnit.

Run the sample application test harness:

./scripts/test-sample-project-php.sh

Using Genelet

1. Create a PHP app with conf/config.json defining Project, Script, Template, Pubrole, Chartags, Roles, and optional DB/auth settings.
2. For each component, create a component.json with actions, current_table or current_tables, and current_key.
3. Provide <Project>\<Component>\Filter and <Project>\<Component>\Model classes.
4. Bootstrap Genelet\Controller from an entrypoint such as www/app.php.
5. Configure Composer autoloading for the app namespace and require genelet/php.

Generated apps can use no_db for actions that do not need database work and no_method for actions handled entirely by filter/template behavior. JSON chartags return response bodies; HTML-like chartags render templates such as:

<Template>/<role>/<component>/<action>.<tag>

Compatibility Notes

Genelet keeps the legacy generated-app surface stable:

• Public framework class names and public methods remain stable.
• Numeric framework error codes and messages are preserved.
• Cookie behavior, including CLI test cookie mirroring through $_COOKIE["SET_COOKIE"], is preserved.
• ARGS, LISTS, OTHER, existing config keys, and nextpage marker names remain part of the runtime contract.