Getting Started

Welcome to VeloFrame, a minimalist PHP framework for rapid, scalable web development. This guide will walk you through setup, project structure, and your first steps.

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Prerequisites

• PHP 7 or higher
• Apache (with mod-rewrite) or any web server that supports URL rewriting

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1. Installation

Clone the Repository

Open your terminal and run:

git clone https://github.com/URW-CE-IT/veloframe.git

Project Structure Overview

After cloning, your project will look like:

pages/                 # Your page controllers (PHP)
templates/             # HTML templates
templates/components/  # Reusable HTML components
VeloFrame/             # Core framework code
index.php              # Main entry point
.htaccess              # URL rewriting rules

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2. Configure URL Rewriting

To enable clean URLs, use this .htaccess in your project root:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^(img|css|js)/(.*)$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php?rpath=$1 [QSA,L]

• Tip: Adjust RewriteBase if your project is in a subfolder.

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3. Running the Development Server

For quick local testing, use PHP’s built-in server:

php -S localhost:8000 index.php

• Visit http://localhost:8000 in your browser.
• For production or full URL rewriting, use Apache or a compatible server.

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4. Your First Page

1. Create a new file in pages/, e.g. HelloHandler.php:

   # @route /hello
   class HelloHandler extends DefaultPageController {
       public function handle() {
           $tpl = new VeloFrame\Template("index");
           $tpl->setVariable("title", "Hello World!");
           return $tpl->output();
       }
   }
   

2. Add a link to /hello in your template or visit /hello in your browser.

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5. Next Steps

• Templates & Components: Learn to build dynamic UIs.
• Configuration: Tune your project settings.
• Architecture: Understand the framework flow.
• Routing: Map URLs to controllers.

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Troubleshooting

• Blank page? Check file permissions and error logs.
• 404 errors? Ensure .htaccess is present and URL rewriting is enabled.
• Need help? See the FAQ or open an issue on GitHub.

Happy coding with VeloFrame! 🚴‍♂️