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Introduction

Anchor is a lightweight, module-based PHP framework designed for speed, simplicity, and developer happiness. It provides a robust set of tools for building modern web applications without the overhead of larger frameworks.

Philosophy

Anchor embraces a maritime metaphor that reflects its core purpose and design philosophy:

Stability & Foundation

Just as an anchor provides stability to a ship, the Anchor Framework gives you a solid, reliable foundation to build upon. It keeps your application grounded with robust architecture, proven patterns, and hardened features, ensuring your codebase remains stable even as your project grows.

Shipping Code

In software development, we don't just deploy code, we ship it. The Anchor Framework is designed to help you confidently ship quality code to production. Every feature, from the ORM to the queue system, is built for scale and reliability.

Dock - CLI Tooling

The dock command-line interface is your dock, the place where you prepare your vessel (application) for its voyage. Just as a ship is maintained, inspected, and provisioned at the dock, the Dock CLI provides essential tools for:

  • Generating code scaffolding
  • Running migrations and seeders
  • Managing queues and scheduled tasks
  • Testing and code quality checks (php dock sail - your final inspection before deployment)
  • Development server management

Together, these elements create a cohesive development experience: Anchor provides the foundation, Dock equips you with the tools, and you confidently ship code to production.

Requirements

To run Anchor, your server must meet the following requirements:

  • PHP: >= 8.2
  • Extensions: PDO, Mbstring, OpenSSL, Ctype, JSON, BCMath, ZipArchive, cURL.

Installation

The recommended way to install Anchor is via the Anchor Skeleton. This provides a pre-configured template to get you up and running in seconds.

For detailed instructions on Managed and Standalone installation modes, see the Installation Guide.

Key Features

  • Module-Based Architecture: Organize code by feature, not just file type.
  • Lightweight Core: Fast request lifecycle with minimal overhead.
  • Powerful ORM: Eloquent-like syntax for database interactions.
  • Convention over Configuration: Sensible defaults to get you started quickly.
  • Built-in Tools: CLI, Migrations, Queues, Mailer, and more.
  • Clear Separation: System/ provides the framework foundation (don't modify), App/ is your workspace (build here).

Build your application in App/ using the tools provided by System/. If you need framework improvements, contribute via Pull Requests!

Further Reading