What is CakePHP?
CakePHP is an open-source PHP web framework designed to help developers build web applications quickly. It is based on the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture and provides a powerful toolkit to simplify common development tasks such as database interactions, form handling, authentication, and session management.
Key Features and Advantages of CakePHP
- Rapid Development: Provides rich code generation tools to help developers quickly create common code structures.
- Flexible and Powerful ORM: Built-in ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) layer simplifies database operations.
- Security: Comes with multiple security features like input validation, CSRF protection, and SQL injection prevention.
- Community Support: Has an active community and a rich ecosystem of plugins.
- Good Documentation: Offers comprehensive documentation and tutorials to help developers get started quickly.
CakePHP is suitable for projects ranging from small applications to large enterprise systems, enabling developers to build high-quality web applications swiftly.
Creating and Running a CakePHP Project Using ServBay
In this article, we will use the PHP environment provided by ServBay to create and run a CakePHP project. We will utilize ServBay's 'Host' feature to set up a web server and configure the project for access with simple steps.
Note for NGINX or Apache Users
ServBay uses Caddy as the default web server. For users migrating from NGINX and Apache to ServBay, there are some key points to note:
- Caddy Configuration
ServBay comes with Caddy pre-configured and optimized. Developers can manage sites through ServBay's 'Host' feature without manually modifying the Caddy configuration file.
- Rewrite Rules and .htaccess
In NGINX and Apache, developers typically write their own rewrite rules and .htaccess files for URL rewriting and other configurations. However, ServBay comes with pre-configured Caddy rules, so developers usually do not need to write these rules unless there are special requirements.
Creating a CakePHP Project
ServBay suggests placing websites in the /Applications/ServBay/www
directory for easy management.
- Install Composer
ServBay has Composer pre-installed, so no separate installation is needed.
- Create a CakePHP Project
Use Composer to create a new CakePHP project:
cd /Applications/ServBay/www
mkdir servbay-cakephp-app
cd servbay-cakephp-app
composer create-project --prefer-dist cakephp/app .
- Enter the Project Directory
Navigate to the newly created CakePHP project directory:
cd /Applications/ServBay/www/servbay-cakephp-app
Initial Configuration
- Configure Environment Variables
In the config/app_local.php
file, configure database connection information and other environment variables. Ensure the following configuration is correctly set:
'Datasources' => [
'default' => [
'host' => '127.0.0.1',
'username' => 'root',
'password' => 'password',
'database' => 'servbay_cakephp_app',
'url' => env('DATABASE_URL', null),
],
],
Configuring the Web Server
Use ServBay's 'Host' feature to access the CakePHP project via the web server. In ServBay's 'Host' settings, add a new host:
-
Name:
My First CakePHP Dev Site
-
Domain:
servbay-cakephp-test.local
-
Site Type:
PHP
-
PHP Version: Select
8.3
-
Site Root Directory:
/Applications/ServBay/www/servbay-cakephp-app/webroot
For detailed setup steps, please refer to [[Adding Your First Site]].
Adding Sample Code
In the config/routes.php
file, add the following code to output "Hello ServBay!":
$routes->connect('/', ['controller' => 'Pages', 'action' => 'display', 'home']);
In the src/Controller/PagesController.php
file, add the following code:
namespace App\Controller;
use Cake\Http\Response;
class PagesController extends AppController
{
public function display()
{
return new Response(['body' => 'Hello ServBay!']);
}
}
Accessing the Site
Open a browser and visit https://servbay-cakephp-test.local
. You should see the page output Hello ServBay!
.
If you want more specific examples, you can visit the official Help Center.
Got questions? Check out our support page for assistance. Plus, you’re warmly invited to join our Discord community, where you can connect with fellow devs, share insights, and find support.
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Let’s code, collaborate, and create together!
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