README

Plugs Framework

The High-Performance, AI-Native Core Engine for Modern PHP.

Features • Installation • Setup & Installer • Documentation

⚡ Introduction

Plugs is the lightweight, blazing-fast core engine that powers the ThePlugs application framework. Designed for speed, structure, and developer happiness, it serves as the beating heart of your PHP applications.

Plugs (plugs/plugs): The Core Framework Library (Engine).
ThePlugs (theplugs/theplugs): The Application Skeleton (Starter Project).

Whether you are building a simple API, a complex web application, or an AI-powered agent, Plugs provides the robust foundation you need.

🚀 Key Features

🏎️ Performance First

Built-in OPcache Management: Production-ready caching strategies out of the box.
Fast Routing: Optimized route matching algorithm.
Minimal Footprint: Low memory overhead.

🧠 AI-Native

Integrated AI Drivers: First-class support for Gemini, Anthropic, OpenAI, and Ollama.
Agentic Workflows: Build autonomous agents with the built-in Agent class.
CLI AI Tools: Chat and fix code directly from the terminal (ai:chat, ai:fix).

📦 Full-Stack Capable

Web Installer: A beautiful, built-in installer to set up your environment, database, and admin account in seconds.
View Engine V5:
- 🛡️ Context-Aware Escaping: Zero-config security that auto-detects HTML, Script, and Attribute contexts.
- 🏷️ Modern Tag Syntax: Native <if>, <loop>, and <layout> tags for cleaner templates.
- 🚀 Next-Gen Performance: Optimized compilation and opcache integration.
Database: Fluent query builder and Active Record ORM.
Security: Built-in Shield, CSRF protection, and encryption.

📦 Installation

Option 1: Start a New Project (Recommended)

To create a new application using the Plugs architecture, use the ThePlugs skeleton:

composer create-project theplugs/theplugs my-app

Option 2: Install Core Engine (Integration)

If you already have a project structure and want to integrate the Plugs Core Engine:

composer require plugs/plugs

Note: The core package includes a public/install folder that assists in generating the necessary file structure and configuration for your project.

🛠️ Setup & Web Installer

One of the standout features of Plugs is its zero-friction setup. Once you have installed the framework:

Start the Server:
```
php theplugs serve
```
Run the Installer: Navigate to http://localhost:8000/install in your browser.

The installer will guide you through:
- ✅ System Requirements Check
- 🗄️ Database Configuration (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite)
- ⚙️ Application Settings
- 👤 Admin Account Creation
Once completed, your application framework—folders, configuration, and database—will be fully generated and ready to go!

🏁 Quick Start

Routing

Define routes in routes/web.php or routes/api.php:

use Plugs\Facades\Route;

Route::get('/', function () {
    return view('welcome');
});

Route::get('/users', [UserController::class, 'index']);

Controllers

Generate a controller using the CLI:

php theplugs make:controller UserController

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use App\Models\User;
use Plugs\Base\Controller\Controller;

class UserController extends Controller
{
    public function index()
    {
        return view('users.index', [
            'users' => User::all()
        ]);
    }
}

AI Chat

Interact with your AI driver immediately:

php theplugs ai:chat "Explain how the Service Container works"

📚 Documentation

For comprehensive documentation, please explore the docs folder. Here are some quick links:

🚀 Getting Started

🧩 The Basics

🗄️ Database

🛡️ Security

🤖 AI Features

AI Integration

⚡ Advanced

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions to the Core Engine! Please see our CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

📄 License

The Plugs Framework is open-sourced software licensed under the Apache 2.0 License.

Designed & Developed by Celio Natti

plugs / plugs

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