Start your first application

Goal

Follow one complete working example before adding infrastructure. The neutral Reading List connects configuration, routes, a controller, a service, a repository, and native PHP views without a database or provider.

Steps

Before following the framework example, read candidate status and PHP 8.5 migration. The current reference skeleton is 0.2.0-rc.1 and requires stable PHP >=8.5.11 <8.6.0; it is not the dependency installed in this knowledge base. Choose separately approved independent paths, an exact reviewed source snapshot and an isolated runtime. Never install the candidate into this KB just to follow a tutorial or bypass its platform guard.

• Read Application walkthrough from start to finish.
• Inspect the composition source and route source.
• Use the skeleton instructions to create an independent application namespace and dependency. Do not copy knowledge-base account records or runtime files.
• Install dependencies locally, select TEST or DEV explicitly, and run isolated checks before serving a loopback preview.

configuration → composition → route → controller
                                  → service → repository
                                  → escaped PHP view → Response

Expected result

You can explain which layer owns each operation and change the repository without changing the view. The example is not proof of Apache, databases, or live integrations.

If it fails

Start with Troubleshooting, especially missing Composer dependencies and environment selection. Check the application's absolute document root, not the framework root.

Editorial provenance

Source: resources/guides/first-application.md. Source SHA-256: eea6dc0ae1dcb998ffdb5e91bc6233c9b89cdd08e73cdf0791a2e99c07d8218a.

Knowledge-base application source; editorial checkpoint 2026-10-20. See candidate status and adoption boundary.