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Language Level

  • PHP 7.2+: We maintain compatibility with PHP 7.2 while using modern features where possible (like declare(strict_types=1) and return type hints).

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PHP Standards Recommendations (PSR)

  • PSR-1 & PSR-12: We follow the basic and extended coding style guides.
  • PSR-4: Autoloading is handled via PSR-4 namespaces.
  • PSR-11: Container integration is based on the standard container interface.
  • PSR-7/15 (Inspired): While we use custom, optimized HTTP interfaces for performance and type-safety, our design is heavily inspired by these standards.

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Core Principles

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Single Source of Truth (SSOT)

Documentation is code. Instead of separate Swagger files or messy annotations, the API structure is defined using PHP classes (AbstractProperty). This single definition drives validation, population, and documentation generation.

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Single Responsibility Principle (SRP)

  • Controllers: Each controller should handle exactly one route and one HTTP method.
  • Requests: Each request class defines the schema for exactly one endpoint.
  • Validators: Each validator handles exactly one property type.

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Type Safety

Even in older PHP versions, Apivalk enforces strict typing. Data is validated and cast to the correct type before it reaches your business logic.

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Immutability

Response objects are designed to be built and returned. While not strictly immutable, we discourage modifying response state across many layers to avoid side effects.

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Clean Code Practices

  • Descriptive Naming: Classes and methods are named clearly based on their intent (e.g., GetPetController, StringProperty).
  • Minimal Boilerplate: We use automated discovery (via ClassLocator) to eliminate manual route registration.
  • Fail Fast: Input is validated at the middleware level, before it ever reaches the controller.