Getting Started

Welcome to the Hazaar Framework! This guide provides an overview of the best ways to get your environment set up and your first application running.

System Requirements

Depending on your chosen installation method, you may or may not need PHP 8.0+ installed on your system:

• Composer or Manual install: PHP 8.0 or higher must be available on your system.
• Docker/DevContainer: All dependencies, including PHP, are provided in the container—no need to install PHP locally.

Tip: We strongly recommend using the DevContainer method, as it ensures a consistent environment and gets you running in minutes without complex local setup.

Installation Options

Hazaar Framework offers detailed guides for the two primary installation methods:

1. VS Code with Devcontainers (Recommended)

This is the fastest and easiest way to start developing with Hazaar. It uses Visual Studio Code and Docker to spin up a complete, pre-configured development environment. You don't need to install PHP, Composer, or a web server on your local machine—everything is handled for you.

• Get Started with Devcontainers

2. Local Development with Composer

If you prefer to work directly on your host machine or have a specific local setup, you can install Hazaar using Composer. This requires you to ensure your environment meets the necessary requirements (PHP 8.0+, extensions, etc.).

• Get Started with Composer

What's Next?

Once your environment is running, explore the core concepts of Hazaar Framework:

• Configuration - Learn how to configure your application.
• Routing - Learn how routing works for your application.
• Controllers - Learn how to create controllers for your application.
• Views - Learn how to create views for your application.
• Models - Learn how to create models for your application.
• Database - Learn how to use databases in your application.

Once installed, you'll have a working skeleton app ready for development.