PHPackages mistralys/application\_framework - PHPackages - PHPackages [Skip to content](#main-content)[PHPackages](/)[Directory](/)[Categories](/categories)[Trending](/trending)[Leaderboard](/leaderboard)[Changelog](/changelog)[Analyze](/analyze)[Collections](/collections)[Log in](/login)[Sign up](/register) 1. [Directory](/) 2. / 3. [Framework](/categories/framework) 4. / 5. mistralys/application\_framework ActiveLibrary[Framework](/categories/framework) mistralys/application\_framework ================================ Application admin UI Framework. 7.3.1(4w ago)41.4k[23 issues](https://github.com/Mistralys/application-framework/issues)LGPL-3.0-or-laterPHPPHP ^8.4 Since Feb 26Pushed 4w ago2 watchersCompare [ Source](https://github.com/Mistralys/application-framework)[ Packagist](https://packagist.org/packages/mistralys/application_framework)[ RSS](/packages/mistralys-application-framework/feed)WikiDiscussions main Synced 3w ago READMEChangelog (10)Dependencies (120)Versions (241)Used By (0) [![](src/themes/default/img/app-framework-logo.png)](src/themes/default/img/app-framework-logo.png) Application Framework ===================== [](#application-framework) All-in-one PHP framework and UI layer for building web and intranet applications. Introduction ------------ [](#introduction) The framework is designed to be a solid foundation for custom-built web applications. The integrated functionality helps to focus on the application logic, while being able to create the necessary administration screens, APIs and more with minimal effort. Note that it is not a CMS: it is exclusively a tool for building custom applications. Supporting features are available out of the box, like the notepad or image library, but anything your application needs to do must be implemented by you. One of the core functionalities of the framework is to provide an extensive ecology of classes for accessing custom data stored in the database. This includes complex filtering capabilities as well as a versioning system with record state tracking (draft, published, etc.). Features overview ----------------- [](#features-overview) - PHP helper classes for UI elements - Form building system - every screen is a form - Rule-based application environment detection - Advanced database-stored data handling tools - Class-based extensible templating system - Localization system for UI translation - News central (release notes, etc.) - Event handling system - Image media library and UI - Tagging system and UI - Versioning system with state tracking - Disposables system for automated garbage collection - API response caching (file-based, opt-in via Interface + Trait; TTL and manual strategies) - SSO via CAS - Interface Translations: English, German, French - Build-time module documentation generators (Modules Overview, Keyword Glossary) - Own ecology of supporting libraries Requirements ------------ [](#requirements) - PHP 7.4 or higher (fully PHP 8 compatible) - [Composer](https://getcomposer.org) - MariaDB or MySQL database with InnoDB support - Webserver Installation ------------ [](#installation) The framework can be installed as a regular Composer dependency. However, the required application skeleton of folders and files can currently only be generated dynamically using the [Framework Manager](https://github.com/Mistralys/appframework-manager), which is currently still a private project. Documentation on how to set up an application using the framework is still in progress. In the meantime, the example application can be used as a reference (see [Example application](#example-application)). Example application ------------------- [](#example-application) The framework includes a sample application which is used as a reference for available features, best practices, and testing. It can also be used as the basis for a new application. You will find it in the `tests/application` folder. **Installation** The quickest way to set up the example application is with the interactive setup command: ``` composer setup ``` This will prompt you for database and UI settings, create the database if it does not exist, import `docs/sql/pristine.sql`, and seed the test data automatically. Re-running the command is safe — existing values are shown as defaults and pressing Enter preserves them. Manual setup (alternative)1. Import the SQL file `docs/sql/pristine.sql` into a database. 2. Open the folder `tests/application/config`. 3. Copy `test-db-config.dist.php` to `test-db-config.php`. 4. Copy `test-ui-config.dist.php` to `test-ui-config.php`. 5. Edit the settings in both files. 6. Run `composer seed-tests` to seed the test data. After setup, access the `tests/application` folder via the webserver. > **Note:** The generated config files (`test-db-config.php`, `test-ui-config.php`) are listed in `.gitignore` and must never be committed to version control — they contain local credentials and are derived from the `.dist.php` templates. Composer commands ----------------- [](#composer-commands) These are custom Composer commands that are available when developing locally. ### Build [](#build) The build step generates module documentation artefacts from `module-context.yaml`files discovered throughout the codebase, updates the CTX `generated-at.txt`timestamp, regenerates the API method index, and rebuilds offline event listeners. ``` composer build ``` For the full development build (includes module glossary and keyword index): ``` composer build-dev ``` ### Setup [](#setup) Interactive one-command setup for the local development environment. Prompts for database and UI settings, generates `test-db-config.php` and `test-ui-config.php` from their `.dist.php` templates, creates the database if it does not exist, imports `docs/sql/pristine.sql`, and runs `composer seed-tests` automatically on completion. ``` composer setup ``` Re-running the command is safe (idempotent): existing config values are read back and shown as defaults; pressing Enter without typing preserves them. If the database connection fails, the script re-prompts for credentials until a successful connection is established. The script can also be invoked directly: ``` php tools/setup-local.php ``` > **Requires an interactive terminal (TTY).** Do not pipe or redirect input to this command — `stty -echo` (used to suppress password echo) relies on an attached TTY and will behave unexpectedly in non-interactive contexts. ### Seed test database [](#seed-test-database) Truncates all tables in the test database and re-populates them with the standard framework seed data (system users, locales, and countries). Run this once after importing `docs/sql/pristine.sql`, and again whenever the test database needs to be reset to a known state. ``` composer seed-tests ``` The command runs two process-isolated steps in sequence: 1. `php tools/seed-truncate.php` — empties all base tables 2. `php tools/seed-insert.php` — inserts system users, locales, and countries The command requires the test database to be accessible and configured (see `tests/application/config/test-db-config.php`). It is **idempotent**: running it on an already-seeded database produces the same result with no errors. On failure it prints a human-readable error message and exits with code 1, making it safe to use in CI pipelines. ### Clear caches [](#clear-caches) Clears all caches used by the framework, including the dynamic class cache. ``` composer clear-caches ``` Developer Tools --------------- [](#developer-tools) The `tools/` directory contains local-development CLI scripts. These are version-controlled and intended for developer use only — they are not part of the framework runtime. ### Getting started as a contributor [](#getting-started-as-a-contributor) The fastest way to get your local environment up and running is the interactive developer menu. From the project root, run: ``` # Unix / macOS ./menu.sh # Windows menu.cmd ``` The menu will automatically run `composer install` if `vendor/` is missing, then present a numbered list of common tasks. Choose **option 1** to run the interactive local-environment setup wizard, which configures the database and generates the required config files. ### Setup Script [](#setup-script) `tools/setup-local.php` is the interactive local-environment setup script (see [`composer setup`](#setup) above). It can be run directly with `php tools/setup-local.php` or via `composer setup`. **Generated files and version control** The script generates `tests/application/config/test-db-config.php` and `tests/application/config/test-ui-config.php` from their `.dist.php`counterparts. Both generated files are listed in `.gitignore` and **must not be committed** — they contain local database credentials. The `.dist.php`templates (which contain no credentials) are version-controlled and serve as the canonical structure reference. **Platform and TTY notes** ScenarioBehaviourUnix / macOS (interactive TTY)Password input is hidden via `stty -echo`. Ctrl-C restores echo via a `pcntl_signal` SIGINT handler.WindowsPassword input is **visible in the terminal** — `stty` is not available on Windows. A warning is printed before the password prompt.Windows (some PHP builds)`pcntl_signal` may not be compiled in. If you interrupt the script with Ctrl-C during a password prompt, terminal echo may remain suppressed. Run `stty echo` in your terminal to restore it manually.Non-interactive / piped contextThe script is not designed for non-interactive use. Running it without an attached TTY (e.g. via pipe or CI) may leave echo enabled and produce garbled output.**CAS authentication mode** By default the setup script writes `TESTS_SESSION_TYPE = 'NoAuth'` into `test-ui-config.php`. This setting is not prompted interactively — it must be changed manually when CAS authentication is required. To enable CAS mode: 1. Open `tests/application/config/test-ui-config.php` and change the constant: ``` const TESTS_SESSION_TYPE = 'CAS'; ``` 2. Copy the CAS configuration template and fill in your server details: ``` cp tests/application/config/test-cas-config.dist.php \ tests/application/config/test-cas-config.php ``` 3. Edit `test-cas-config.php` and set the following constants to match your CAS / LDAP environment: ConstantDescription`APP_CAS_HOST`CAS server hostname (e.g. `cas.example.com`)`APP_CAS_PORT`CAS server port (default `443`)`TESTS_CAS_FIELD_EMAIL`CAS response field for the user's email address`TESTS_CAS_FIELD_FIRST_NAME`CAS response field for given name`TESTS_CAS_FIELD_LAST_NAME`CAS response field for family name`TESTS_CAS_FIELD_FOREIGN_ID`CAS response field used as the external user ID`APP_LDAP_HOST` / `APP_LDAP_PORT`LDAP server connection details`APP_LDAP_DN` / `APP_LDAP_USERNAME` / `APP_LDAP_PASSWORD`LDAP bind credentials > `test-cas-config.php` is gitignored alongside the other generated config files — it must never be committed. ### CLI Utility Library [](#cli-utility-library) `tools/include/cli-utilities.php` is the shared helper library included by every script in `tools/`. It provides four console I/O functions: FunctionSignatureDescription`writeln``writeln(string $text = '') : void`Writes a line to STDOUT followed by a newline. Pass an empty string for a blank line.`color``color(string $text, string $color) : string`Wraps text in ANSI colour codes. Supported values: `green`, `red`, `yellow`, `cyan`, `bold`. Returns plain text (no ANSI codes) when the colour name is unrecognised, or when running on Windows (`PHP_OS_FAMILY === 'Windows'`). The Windows fallback is intentionally conservative — plain text is returned for all Windows environments to avoid a dependency on runtime terminal-capability detection. Modern terminals such as Windows Terminal and PowerShell 7+ do support ANSI, but detecting them reliably requires additional checks.`prompt``prompt(string $label, string $default = '') : string`Displays a labelled prompt and reads a trimmed line from STDIN. Returns `$default` when the user submits an empty line.`promptPassword``promptPassword(string $label, string $default = '') : string`Like `prompt`, but suppresses character echo on Unix-like systems via `stty -echo`. On Windows or when `stty` is unavailable, input is read with echo visible and a warning is shown.All functions are guarded with `function_exists()` so the file can be safely included more than once. ### Developer Menu [](#developer-menu) An interactive numbered menu that groups the most common developer tasks in a single entry point. Launch it from the project root with: ``` # Unix ./menu.sh # Windows menu.cmd # Direct (any platform) php tools/menu.php ``` If the `vendor/` directory is missing when the menu starts, `composer install`is run automatically before the menu is displayed. **Available options** \#LabelCommand invoked1Setup local environment`php tools/setup-local.php`2Build`composer build`3Run tests`composer test` (full) or `composer test-filter -- `4Clear caches`composer clear-caches`5Seed test database`composer seed-tests`6PHPStan analysis`composer analyze`0Exit—Option **3 (Run tests)** sub-prompts for an optional filter pattern. Leaving it empty runs the full test suite; entering a pattern runs only matching tests. The menu loops after each action completes so you can run multiple tasks in sequence without re-launching the script. **Launchers** FilePlatformNotes`menu.sh`Unix / macOSExecutable (`chmod +x`). Uses `#!/usr/bin/env bash` for portability.`menu.cmd`WindowsUses `cd /d "%~dp0"` to handle drive-letter differences.`tools/menu.php`AnyCore implementation; can be invoked directly with `php`.Build-Time Documentation Generators ----------------------------------- [](#build-time-documentation-generators) The `Application\Composer` namespace provides build-time utilities that generate two Markdown documentation artefacts automatically on every `composer build`: - **Modules Overview** (`docs/agents/project-manifest/modules-overview.md`) — a Markdown table of all modules, their source paths, context doc locations, and inter-module dependencies. Discovered from `module-context.yaml` files. - **Keyword Glossary** (`docs/agents/project-manifest/module-glossary.md`) — a Markdown glossary mapping opaque domain terms to the modules that define them. Application modules can contribute custom sections via the `DecorateGlossaryEvent`offline event. To register a module for discovery, add a `module-context.yaml` next to its classes: ``` moduleMetaData: id: "my-module" label: "My Module" description: "What this module does." keywords: - "Widget (the core UI component)" ``` See [`src/classes/Application/Composer/README.md`](src/classes/Application/Composer/README.md)for full API documentation and the offline-event integration guide. CTX Integration --------------- [](#ctx-integration) The project uses CTX to generate context files for AI-assisted development, and to provide an MCP server for integration with IDEs like PHPStorm to access the framework's AI tools. ### Related commands [](#related-commands) #### Start the MCP Server [](#start-the-mcp-server) ``` ctx server ``` #### Generate all files [](#generate-all-files) ``` ctx generate ``` #### Server information [](#server-information) This fetches a JSON-lines list of configurations and tools available in the server. ``` (echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2024-11-05","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"test-client","version":"1.0.0"}}}'; \ echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"notifications/initialized"}'; \ echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/list","params":{}}') | ctx server -c context.yaml ``` Documentation ------------- [](#documentation) The framework's documentation is available locally by pointing a browser to the `docs` folder, and online in the separate [Framework Documentation](https://github.com/Mistralys/application-framework-docs)package. > It is ideally viewed through the framework's documentation screen, as there are some features that are only available there (like code samples that are included dynamically). ### Vendor Package [](#vendor-package) For convenience, a copy of the documentation is automatically checked out into the vendor folder during the Composer install process. It can be found at [mistralys/application-framework-docs](/vendor/mistralys/application-framework-docs/README.md). History ------- [](#history) The framework has its origins in several projects where the same development paradigms were used and refined over time. In 2013, it started to crystallize into a recognizable entity, and in 2015, it was officially split off into its own project. It was migrated to Github in february 2021, and modernizing the code has been ongoing ever since. As a result, the current state of the code is a mix of namespaced and non-namespaced code, with the goal of eventually moving to a fully namespaced codebase. ### Health Score 54 — FairBetter than 97% of packages Maintenance74 Regular maintenance activity Popularity22 Limited adoption so far Community12 Small or concentrated contributor base Maturity90 Battle-tested with a long release history Bus Factor1 Top contributor holds 98.7% of commits — single point of failure How is this calculated?**Maintenance (25%)** — Last commit recency, latest release date, and issue-to-star ratio. Uses a 2-year decay window. **Popularity (30%)** — Total and monthly downloads, GitHub stars, and forks. Logarithmic scaling prevents top-heavy scores. **Community (15%)** — Contributors, dependents, forks, watchers, and maintainers. Measures real ecosystem engagement. **Maturity (30%)** — Project age, version count, PHP version support, and release stability. ### Release Activity Cadence Every ~8 days Total 235 Last Release 29d ago Major Versions 2.11.0-alpha2 → 3.0.0-rc22023-10-26 3.1.7 → 4.0.02024-05-14 4.0.6 → 5.0.02024-07-31 5.13.2 → 6.0.02025-11-25 6.2.0 → 7.0.02026-02-10 PHP version history (3 changes)2.0.0PHP >=7.4 5.8.3PHP ^7.4|^8 5.11.0PHP ^8.4 ### Community Maintainers ![](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/8895528?v=4)[Mistralys](/maintainers/Mistralys)[@Mistralys](https://github.com/Mistralys) --- Top Contributors [![Mistralys](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/8895528?v=4)](https://github.com/Mistralys "Mistralys (4901 commits)")[![emre-ionos](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/79832842?v=4)](https://github.com/emre-ionos "emre-ionos (49 commits)")[![danielstorch](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/5611423?v=4)](https://github.com/danielstorch "danielstorch (8 commits)")[![dstorch-ionos](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/153072168?v=4)](https://github.com/dstorch-ionos "dstorch-ionos (8 commits)") ### Code Quality TestsPHPUnit Static AnalysisPHPStan, Rector Type Coverage Yes ### Embed Badge ![Health badge](/badges/mistralys-application-framework/health.svg) ``` [![Health](https://phpackages.com/badges/mistralys-application-framework/health.svg)](https://phpackages.com/packages/mistralys-application-framework) ``` ### Alternatives [tempest/framework The PHP framework that gets out of your way. 2.2k31.1k12](/packages/tempest-framework)[laravel/framework The Laravel Framework. 34.8k532.1M19.4k](/packages/laravel-framework)[matomo/matomo Matomo is the leading Free/Libre open analytics platform 21.6k38.2k](/packages/matomo-matomo)[drupal/core Drupal is an open source content management platform powering millions of websites and applications. 19564.8M1.6k](/packages/drupal-core)[sulu/sulu Core framework that implements the functionality of the Sulu content management system 1.3k1.4M196](/packages/sulu-sulu)[getkirby/cms The Kirby core 1.5k567.4k433](/packages/getkirby-cms) PHPackages © 2026 [Directory](/)[Categories](/categories)[Trending](/trending)[Changelog](/changelog)[Analyze](/analyze)