HTTP Dispatcher Framework

About

!IMPORTANT: this is an experimental version not to be used for production development

This http-based framework implements the Dispatcher pattern (more info from Oracle Java) and can be configured as a front-controller or delegate the request to an application. Suitable for REST API services or monolithic server-side rendering.

Key Architectural Concepts

• Dispatcher Pattern: Centralizes HTTP request handling. See Core/Http/Dispatcher.php and example usage in 01-example-dispatcher-as-front-controller/ and 02-example-dispatcher-as-proxy-using-application/.
• Front Controller vs Proxy: Two main modes. Front controller directly handles requests; proxy delegates to an application. Example directories illustrate both patterns.
• Filters & Interceptors: Custom HTTP filters (Core/Http/Filter.php) and interceptors (Core/Http/Interceptor.php) can be registered for request/response manipulation.
• Negotiation: Request content validation is handled via negotiation classes (Core/Http/Negotiation.php).
• Localization: Uses POEDIT and .po/.mo files under locale/. Requires PHP extensions: gettext, intl, mbstring.
• Dependency Injection & Service Locator: DI is used for configuration. See Core/Utils/ObjectStorage.php for service locator, and Core/Boot/Registry.php for singleton usage.

Developer Workflows

• No build step required; PHP >= 8.2 is mandatory.
• Enable required PHP extensions: filter, gettext, iconv, intl, json, mbstring, reflection, spl.
• Debugging: Debugging is enabled for local development only. Sensitive info should be hidden in HTTP requests/responses.
• Security: Set recommended HTTP headers using .htaccess (Apache), default.config (Nginx), or via Core/Http/Response::setHeader in controllers.

Project-Specific Conventions

• Singletons: Only Core/Boot/Registry.php uses singleton; avoid elsewhere.
• Localization: Add new languages by creating .po/.mo files in locale/ and updating configuration.
• Controllers & Views: Organize under Controllers/ and Views/ in example directories. Follow naming conventions as shown.
• Configuration: Use DI and configuration classes under Config/ and Boot/.

Integration Points

• External dependencies: No composer or package manager; all dependencies are PHP extensions.
• Cross-component communication: Use DI and service locator for sharing state and services.

References

• Dispatcher: Core/Http/Dispatcher.php
• Service Locator: Core/Utils/ObjectStorage.php
• Singleton: Core/Boot/Registry.php
• Example usage: 01-example-dispatcher-as-front-controller/, 02-example-dispatcher-as-proxy-using-application/
• Localization: locale/

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Dispatcher lifecycle management