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Introduction to Flight PHP Framework

Introduction to Flight PHP Framework

Flight is a lightweight and fast PHP micro-framework that allows developers to quickly build web applications. It follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architectural pattern, making it easy to separate the business logic from the presentation layer. In this tutorial, we will explore the history, features, and examples of Flight PHP Framework.

History​

Flight was created by Mike Cao in 2011 as a response to the growing demand for a simple yet powerful PHP framework. Inspired by Sinatra, a Ruby framework, Flight aims to provide a similar minimalistic approach to web development. Over the years, Flight has gained popularity among developers due to its simplicity and speed.

Features​

1. Lightweight and Fast​

Flight is designed to be lightweight and fast, with a small footprint. It has a minimal core that focuses on providing essential features without unnecessary bloat. This makes Flight perfect for building small to medium-sized applications where performance is a priority.

2. URL Routing​

Flight provides a simple and intuitive way to define URL routes. You can map URLs to specific controller methods using a clean and readable syntax. Here's an example:

Flight::route('/hello', function(){
    echo 'Hello, World!';
});

When a user visits /hello, Flight will execute the corresponding callback function and output "Hello, World!".

3. RESTful Routing​

Flight supports RESTful routing out of the box. You can easily define routes for the standard CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete). For example:

Flight::route('GET /users', function(){
    // Fetch all users
});

Flight::route('GET /users/@id', function($id){
    // Fetch a specific user
});

Flight::route('POST /users', function(){
    // Create a new user
});

Flight::route('PUT /users/@id', function($id){
    // Update a user
});

Flight::route('DELETE /users/@id', function($id){
    // Delete a user
});

Flight intelligently maps the HTTP methods and URL patterns to the corresponding controller methods, making it easy to build RESTful APIs.

4. Error Handling​

Flight provides a built-in error handling mechanism. You can define custom error handlers to gracefully handle exceptions and errors. Here's an example:

Flight::map('error', function(Exception $ex){
    // Handle the exception
    // Display a custom error page
});

Flight will automatically call the error handler whenever an exception occurs within your application.

5. Middleware Support​

Flight supports middleware, which allows you to modify the request and response objects before and after the execution of a route. Middleware functions are executed in the order they are added. Here's an example:

Flight::before('start', function(&$params, &$output){
    // Modify the request object
});

Flight::after('end', function(&$params, &$output){
    // Modify the response object
});

You can use middleware to add authentication, logging, or any other custom functionality to your application.

6. Views and Templates​

Flight supports various template engines, including PHP itself, to render views. You can easily separate the presentation layer from the business logic by using templates. Here's an example using the PHP template engine:

Flight::render('hello.php', array('name' => 'John'));

Flight will load the hello.php template and pass the $name variable for rendering.

Examples​

Example 1: Hello, World!​

require 'flight/Flight.php';

Flight::route('/', function(){
    echo 'Hello, World!';
});

Flight::start();

When a user visits the root URL, Flight will execute the callback function and output "Hello, World!".

Example 2: URL Parameter​

require 'flight/Flight.php';

Flight::route('/hello/@name', function($name){
    echo 'Hello, ' . $name . '!';
});

Flight::start();

When a user visits /hello/John, Flight will execute the callback function and output "Hello, John!".

Example 3: Template Rendering​

require 'flight/Flight.php';

Flight::register('view', 'Smarty', array(), function($smarty){
    $smarty->template_dir = './templates/';
    $smarty->compile_dir = './templates_c/';
});

Flight::route('/hello', function(){
    Flight::view()->assign('name', 'John');
    Flight::render('hello.tpl');
});

Flight::start();

Flight is compatible with various template engines, such as Smarty. In this example, Flight uses Smarty to render the hello.tpl template.

For more information about Flight PHP Framework, you can visit the official website: Flight PHP Framework

That concludes our tutorial on Flight PHP Framework. We have covered its introduction, history, features, and provided several examples to demonstrate its capabilities. Flight's simplicity and performance make it an excellent choice for building fast and efficient web applications.