Getting Started with PHP 8+ Without Using a Framework

PHP is a powerful and widely used server-side scripting language. While frameworks like Laravel and Symfony simplify development, sometimes you may want to work with PHP without a framework to maintain full control over your code. This guide will help you get started with PHP 8+ from scratch.

Getting Started with PHP 8+ Without Using a Framework

1. Setting Up Your Environment

Install PHP 8+

Make sure you have PHP 8 or later installed on your system. You can check your version by running:

php -v

If you don’t have PHP installed, download it from php.net or use a package manager:

Mac (Homebrew): brew install php
Linux (APT): sudo apt install php
Windows: Use XAMPP or WAMP

Start a Local Development Server

Once PHP is installed, you can start a built-in development server with:

php -S localhost:8000

This starts a server at http://localhost:8000 where you can test your PHP scripts.

2. Project Structure

Even without a framework, organizing your files properly is essential. A basic structure might look like this:

my_php_project/
├── public/
│   ├── index.php
│   ├── style.css
│   └── script.js
├── src/
│   ├── Database.php
│   ├── Router.php
│   ├── Controller.php
├── views/
│   ├── home.php
│   ├── about.php
├── .env
└── composer.json

public/ - Contains the entry point (index.php), assets like CSS/JS.
src/ - Stores PHP classes such as database connections and routing.
views/ - Contains HTML templates.
.env - Environment variables (not committed to Git).
composer.json - Used for dependency management.

3. Writing a Simple Router

A simple router helps you manage URLs without a framework. Create public/index.php:

<?php
$request = $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];

switch ($request) {
    case '/':
        require __DIR__ . '/../views/home.php';
        break;
    case '/about':
        require __DIR__ . '/../views/about.php';
        break;
    default:
        http_response_code(404);
        echo "Page not found";
}

Now, visiting http://localhost:8000/ will load views/home.php, and http://localhost:8000/about will load views/about.php.

4. Connecting to a Database with PDO

Avoid using mysqli directly; instead, use PDO for secure database interactions. Example:

<?php
class Database {
    private $pdo;
    
    public function __construct() {
        $dsn = "mysql:host=localhost;dbname=my_database;charset=utf8mb4";
        $user = "root";
        $password = "";
        
        try {
            $this->pdo = new PDO($dsn, $user, $password, [
                PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
                PDO::ATTR_DEFAULT_FETCH_MODE => PDO::FETCH_ASSOC
            ]);
        } catch (PDOException $e) {
            die("Database connection failed: " . $e->getMessage());
        }
    }

    public function getPdo() {
        return $this->pdo;
    }
}

Use this class in your scripts:

$db = new Database();
$pdo = $db->getPdo();
$statement = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM users");
$users = $statement->fetchAll();

5. Using Composer for Dependency Management

Even without a framework, Composer helps manage dependencies. Install it:

composer init
composer require vlucas/phpdotenv

This installs phpdotenv for managing environment variables. Load .env values in your scripts:

<?php
require 'vendor/autoload.php';
$dotenv = Dotenv\Dotenv::createImmutable(__DIR__);
$dotenv->load();

echo $_ENV['DB_NAME'];

6. Handling Forms and Requests

Create a form in views/home.php:

<form action="/submit.php" method="POST">
    <input type="text" name="name" placeholder="Your Name" required>
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

Handle the form submission in public/submit.php:

<?php
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
    $name = htmlspecialchars($_POST['name']);
    echo "Hello, $name!";
}

Conclusion

This guide introduces PHP 8+ without a framework. With a structured approach, routing, database connections, and Composer for package management, you can build scalable applications from scratch. Happy coding!

Souy Soeng

Getting Started with PHP 8+ without using a Framework