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[Utility & Helpers](/categories/utility) 4. / 5. pico-json-cms/pico-json-cms ActiveLibrary[Utility & Helpers](/categories/utility) pico-json-cms/pico-json-cms =========================== v0.2.1(6mo ago)101PHPCI failing Since Dec 6Pushed 6mo agoCompare [ Source](https://github.com/almhdy24/pico-json-cms)[ Packagist](https://packagist.org/packages/pico-json-cms/pico-json-cms)[ RSS](/packages/pico-json-cms-pico-json-cms/feed)WikiDiscussions main Synced today READMEChangelog (2)Dependencies (3)Versions (5)Used By (0) Pico JSON CMS ============= [](#pico-json-cms) **Pico JSON CMS** is a lightweight, flat-file Content Management System built with PHP and JSON — designed for simplicity, performance, and long-term maintainability. It is ideal for small websites, low-resource servers, and developers who want full control without databases or heavy frameworks. ⚠️ Version Notice ----------------- [](#️-version-notice) - ❌ v0.2.0 — **Broken / Do not use** - ✅ v0.2.1 — First usable public preview --- 🚀 Current Status ---------------- [](#-current-status) - **Latest Version:** v0.2.0 - **Previous Release:** v0.1.0-beta - **Roadmap:** v1.0.0 (LTS / Core Frozen) Pico JSON CMS is under active development and transitioning toward a **stable, frozen core** with a plugin-driven architecture. --- ✨ Key Features -------------- [](#-key-features) - 📁 JSON-based storage (no database required) - 🧩 Plugin system with hooks & filters - 📝 Markdown content powered by **League CommonMark** - 🎨 New theme system (layouts, partials, pages) - 🛠 Web-based installer (first-run setup) - 🔒 Semi-frozen core architecture (v1.0 goal) - ⚡ Fast, minimal, and shared-hosting friendly - 🧠 Clean MVC-inspired structure --- ❌ What Was Removed ------------------ [](#-what-was-removed) - ❌ Bulma CSS framework - ❌ Inline admin.php entry file - ❌ Hard-coded UI dependencies - ❌ Parsedown / ParsedownExtra - ❌ Legacy theme structure Everything is now **simpler, cleaner, and more maintainable**. --- 🧠 Philosophy ------------ [](#-philosophy) Pico JSON CMS follows these principles: - **Small core** - **Explicit code** - **No magic** - **No database** - **Long-term stability** Once v1.0.0 is released, the **core API will be frozen**, ensuring backward compatibility for plugins and themes. --- 🧩 Plugin System --------------- [](#-plugin-system) Plugins use hooks and filters similar to WordPress, but much lighter: - `add_action()` - `add_filter()` - Lazy loading - No global pollution Included by default: - Markdown rendering (CommonMark) - Syntax highlighting (Prism.js, optional) --- 📝 Markdown Support ------------------ [](#-markdown-support) Markdown is handled via: - **league/commonmark** - CommonMark-compliant - Extensible - PHP-8.1+ compatible - No deprecation warnings --- 🎨 Theme System -------------- [](#-theme-system) Themes are fully file-based and structured: ``` themes/default/ ├── assets/ │ └── css/ ├── layouts/ ├── pages/ ├── partials/ ├── admin/ ├── installer/ └── theme.php ``` No framework is enforced — **pure CSS and semantic HTML**. --- ⚙️ Installation --------------- [](#️-installation) ### 1️⃣ Download or clone [](#1️⃣-download-or-clone) ``` git clone https://github.com/almhdy24/pico-json-cms.git ``` ### 2️⃣ Upload to your server [](#2️⃣-upload-to-your-server) Upload the project files to your PHP server (shared hosting is supported). ### 3️⃣ Set permissions [](#3️⃣-set-permissions) Ensure the `content/` directory is writable: ``` chmod -R 755 content/ ``` ### 4️⃣ Run the installer [](#4️⃣-run-the-installer) Open your browser and visit: ``` http://your-site/install ``` The installer will guide you through: - System checks - Admin account creation - Site configuration After installation, the installer locks itself automatically. --- 🔐 Admin Panel ------------- [](#-admin-panel) - Secure login - Brute-force protection - Soft delete (trash system) - Auto cleanup for old trashed posts - Settings stored in JSON Admin URL: ``` /admin ``` --- 📂 Project Structure ------------------- [](#-project-structure) ``` pico-json-cms/ ├── CHANGELOG.md ├── CORE_FREEZE.md ├── composer.json ├── composer.lock ├── config.php ├── content/ │ ├── posts.json │ └── settings.json ├── controllers/ ├── core/ ├── models/ ├── plugins/ ├── themes/ │ └── default/ ├── index.php └── functions.php ``` --- ⚠️ Limitations -------------- [](#️-limitations) - Single admin user - Not intended for high-concurrency traffic - Flat-file storage (JSON) These are **intentional design choices**. --- 🛣 Roadmap --------- [](#-roadmap) ### v0.2.x [](#v02x) - Stabilize installer - Finalize plugin API - Improve documentation ### v1.0.0 (LTS) [](#v100-lts) - Core freeze - Plugin & theme API locked - Long-term support - Backward compatibility guaranteed --- 👨‍💻 Author ---------- [](#‍-author) **Elmahdi Abdallh** PHP Backend & CMS Developer - GitHub: - Website: --- ⭐ If Pico JSON CMS helps you, consider starring the repository. ### Health Score 27 — LowBetter than 47% of packages Maintenance68 Regular maintenance activity Popularity3 Limited adoption so far Community7 Small or concentrated contributor base Maturity28 Early-stage or recently created project Bus Factor1 Top contributor holds 100% 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 ~10 days Total 3 Last Release 189d ago ### Community Maintainers ![](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/47367241?v=4)[Almhdy](/maintainers/almhdy)[@Almhdy](https://github.com/Almhdy) --- Top Contributors [![almhdy24](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/67668895?v=4)](https://github.com/almhdy24 "almhdy24 (31 commits)") ### Embed Badge ![Health badge](/badges/pico-json-cms-pico-json-cms/health.svg) ``` [![Health](https://phpackages.com/badges/pico-json-cms-pico-json-cms/health.svg)](https://phpackages.com/packages/pico-json-cms-pico-json-cms) ``` ### Alternatives [helsingborg-stad/municipio A bootstrap theme for creating municipality sites. 4028.5k10](/packages/helsingborg-stad-municipio)[grumpydictator/firefly-iii Firefly III: a personal finances manager. 23.9k69.5k](/packages/grumpydictator-firefly-iii)[tempest/framework The PHP framework that gets out of your way. 2.2k34.4k15](/packages/tempest-framework)[roundcube/roundcubemail The Roundcube Webmail suite 7.1k2.4k3](/packages/roundcube-roundcubemail)[phlak/directory-lister PHP directory lister 2.5k1.4k](/packages/phlak-directory-lister) PHPackages © 2026 [Directory](/)[Categories](/categories)[Trending](/trending)[Changelog](/changelog)[Analyze](/analyze)