Framework — Design Approach

Spiral is a PHP framework that aims to simplify the development of complex web applications. One of the key principles of the framework is to adhere to the principle of pragmatic design, which includes following the principles of Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) and SOLID.

#Principles

The KISS principle states that software should be designed to be as simple as possible, with a minimal number of moving parts. This makes the code easier to understand, test, and maintain. The SOLID principles, on the other hand, are a set of five principles of object-oriented design that are intended to make software more maintainable and scalable.

#Avoid cross dependencies when possible

One of the core components of Spiral is the use of dependency injection, which helps to avoid cross-dependencies between components and promotes loose coupling. This makes it easy to replace one component with another, without affecting the rest of the system.

#Prioritize composition over inheritance

Another important aspect of Spiral is its focus on composition over inheritance. This approach emphasizes the use of object composition to create new objects, rather than relying on class inheritance. This allows for greater flexibility and makes it easier to change the behavior of an object at runtime.

#Prefer smaller but richer interfaces

Spiral also prioritizes smaller, richer interfaces. This means that interfaces should be kept as simple as possible, with a minimal number of methods. This makes it easier to implement the interface and increases the chances that a class implementing the interface has the correct behavior.

#Avoid magic

Spiral also encourages developers to avoid "magic" in their code. This means that the code should be as explicit as possible and avoid using hidden side effects or other tricky constructs. The aim is to make the code as easy to understand as possible.

#Hybrid Runtime

The framework relies on the RoadRunner application server to run some of its services. PHP codebase is mostly centered around quick delivery of efficient business logic. The application server, Golang based, is focused on efficiently solving infrastructure tasks.

Note
Read about the application lifecycle here.