PHP MVC Project

A simple, well-structured PHP project that demonstrates the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern. This project provides basic CMS-like functionality for managing users, brands, products, news, and static pages.

About The Project

This project is built from scratch using pure PHP to showcase a clear and understandable implementation of the MVC pattern. It's a great starting point for anyone looking to understand how to structure a small PHP application without frameworks.

Features

• MVC Architecture: Separates the application logic from the presentation, making the code easier to maintain and scale.
• Authentication: Secure user login and logout functionality with session management.
• CRUD Functionality: Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations for the following modules:
  • Users
  • Brands
  • Products
  • News
  • Pages
• Database Interaction: A simple and effective database layer using mysqli.
• Routing: A clean and simple routing system to handle page requests.
• Settings Management: Users can personalize their experience by changing the background color and saving their name and gender.

Getting Started

To get a local copy up and running, follow these simple steps.

Prerequisites

• PHP 8.0 or higher
• MySQL or MariaDB
• A web server such as Apache or Nginx (or use PHP's built-in server for development)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/eugegene/php-mvc-project.git

2. Database Setup:

   • Create a new database named phpmvc_db (or a name you prefer).
   • Import the database.sql file if it exists. If not present, create the necessary tables based on the models (users, brands, products, news, pages, sessions/settings). The project expects basic tables for those modules and a sessions/settings storage table if applicable.

3. Configuration:

   • Update the database credentials in src/database/MyDB.php if they are different from the defaults (often root with no password on a local environment).
   • If you use environment variables or another config file, make sure the application loads the correct credentials before starting.

4. Serve the application:

   • Using PHP built-in server for development:

     php -S localhost:8000 -t public

     (Adjust the document root path based on your project structure, e.g., index.php as entry point.)

Project Structure

The project follows a standard MVC structure:

.
└── src/
├── classes/    # Core classes (Application, Controller, Router, etc.)
├── config/     # Configuration files
├── controllers/# Controller classes
├── css/        # CSS stylesheets
├── database/   # Database models and connection class
├── pages/      # View files
├── views/
│   └── layout/ # Header and footer templates
└── index.php   # Entry point of the application

How It Works

MVC Architecture

• Model: The models are located in the src/database/ directory. They are responsible for interacting with the database. Each database table has a corresponding model class (for example, UserModel, ProductsModel, etc.).
• View: The views are located in the src/pages/ directory. They are responsible for the presentation layer of the application. The PageView class in src/classes/ is used to render the views.
• Controller: The controllers are located in the src/controllers/ directory. Controllers handle user requests, interact with the models to fetch/update data, and pass data to the views for rendering.

Routing

The Router class (src/classes/Router.php) handles incoming requests. It determines the controller and action from the URL's query parameters (page and action). For example, a URL like index.php?page=users&action=list would route to the Users controller and its list action.

Database

• MyDB: The MyDB class (src/database/MyDB.php) is a simple wrapper for the mysqli extension, providing methods for connecting to the database, executing queries, and escaping strings.
• Model: The Model class (src/database/Model.php) is an abstract class that other models extend. It provides a database connection to child model classes and common helper methods.

Authentication

Authentication is handled by the AuthController (src/controllers/AuthController.php). It uses the UserModel to authenticate users and a session model or PHP sessions to create and validate user sessions. Passwords are hashed using password_hash().

Functionality in Detail

User Management

• Controller: UsersController
• Model: UserModel
• Views: src/pages/users/
• Functionality: Adding, editing, and deleting users. Passwords are securely hashed using password_hash().

Brand Management

• Controller: BrandsController
• Model: BrandsModel
• Views: src/pages/brands/
• Functionality: Managing product brands.

Product Management

• Controller: ProductsController
• Model: ProductsModel
• Views: src/pages/products/
• Functionality: Managing products, including name, brand, and price.

News Management

• Controller: NewsController
• Model: NewsModel
• Views: src/pages/news/
• Functionality: Creating, editing, and deleting news articles.

Page Management

• Controller: PagesController
• Model: PagesModel
• Views: src/pages/pages/
• Functionality: Managing static pages with title, keywords, description, H1, and content.

Settings

• Controller: SettingsController
• View: src/pages/settings.php
• Functionality:
  • Users can change the background color of the site; this setting may be stored in the session.
  • Users can save their name and gender; these settings may be stored in cookies or the database depending on implementation.