README

ZenDB: PHP/MySQL Database Library

A PHP/MySQL database layer that's easy to use and hard to misuse.

SQL injection is impossible: ZenDB rejects any query with inline values. Every dynamic value goes through placeholders, not because you remembered, but because there's no other way.
XSS is prevented by default: Every value from the database HTML-encodes itself on output. You don't call htmlspecialchars(). Neither does the next developer.
Fast to learn, fast to use: The methods mirror SQL: select, insert, update, delete. If you know MySQL, you already know ZenDB, and if you don't, you will soon!

Why SQL?

Most database libraries invent their own query language - chained methods, builder patterns - that ends up just as complex as SQL but less powerful. ZenDB takes the opposite approach: don't teach people a complicated thing that replaces SQL. Just use SQL and make it safe.

SELECT, WHERE, JOIN, ORDER BY - that's all you need to query with ZenDB. The library handles the security (parameterization, escaping, validation) so you can write the SQL you already know without worrying about injection.

What's Inside

Guides and references (browse on GitHub):

30-Second Quickstart
Getting Started - Installation, connection, first queries
Documentation Index - Every page: querying, results, joins, placeholders, and more
Method Reference - Every method, parameter type, and return value
AI Quick Reference - Single-page reference for AI assistants and humans alike

30-Second Quickstart

composer require itools/zendb

use Itools\ZenDB\DB;

// Connect
DB::connect([
    'hostname'    => 'localhost',
    'username'    => 'dbuser',
    'password'    => 'secret',
    'database'    => 'my_app',
    'tablePrefix' => 'app_',   // optional
]);

// Select rows
$users = DB::select('users', "status = ?", 'active');
foreach ($users as $user) {
    echo "Hello, $user->name!"; // auto HTML-encoded
}

// Get a single row
$user = DB::selectOne('users', "id = ?", 1);

// Insert a row
$newId = DB::insert('users', [
    'name'  => 'Alice',
    'city'  => 'Vancouver',
]);

// Update a row
$newValues = ['city' => 'Toronto'];
$where     = ['id' => $newId]; // arrays work too
DB::update('users', $newValues, $where);

// Delete a row
DB::delete('users', ['id' => $newId]);

// Full SQL when you need it (:: inserts your table prefix)
$rows = DB::query("SELECT name, city FROM ::users WHERE status = :status AND city = :city", [
    ':status' => 'active',
    ':city'   => 'Vancouver',
]);

When you might NOT want ZenDB

You need an ORM with models, migrations, or an ActiveRecord pattern
You need to support databases other than MySQL/MariaDB (and compatible alternatives)
You need async or non-blocking database queries
You prefer writing raw SQL without any abstraction

Related Libraries

SmartArray - Enhanced arrays with chainable methods
SmartString - Secure string handling with auto HTML-encoding

Questions?

Post a message in our forum.

License

MIT

itools / zendb

Maintainers

Package info

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