When a fully featured MVC PHP framework is just too much but static HTML just isn't enough, NoCon.
This is a bare bones PHP application framework that provides SEO friendly clean URLs, a router, views, and all the dynamic flexibility of PHP programming without the complexity and steep learning curve of a full featured PHP framework.
While simplified the framework still provides a detailed directory structure to organize your project. It uses an OOP design with classes and namespaces. And it is compatible with composer which will allow you to import code from packagist.
The framework can be installed manually with no composer support or you can create a new project using composer to pull in the NoCon source and any additional packages you want to use with your project.
composer create-project nocon/nocon my_project
Download the zip file from github for the branch you want to use. Unzip the file and copy the contents of the NoCon folder to the web server hosting directory.
NOTE: Be sure to copy the .htaccess file that contains the mod_rewrite rules needed for the clean URLs.
Development primarily involves the creation of new view files with some editing of the existing partial view files for the header, navigation, and the footer.
The default layout script can be modified or replaced to change the standard layout of all views or layouts can be created for specific views and saved in the layout/viewlayout/ path with the same filename as the main view.
If a view needs to process a form submission prior to loading the layout and view then a preprocess script with the same filename as the view can be stored in the preprocess/viewprocess/ folder. This preprocess is executed prior to the layout and view so it can be used to redirect for login forms or generate JSON or XML output for an API call and then call the \NoCon\Framework\Router::disableView() method to prevent any further output.
The easiest way to learn how to use the framework is to install an example and start editing code. The framework itself is a working example with a single route for the Home view.
You can also check out a more elaborate example complete with a built in API route in the NoCon OpenSSL Test Example.
The NoCon OpenSSL Test Example can be downloaded as a zip file.