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cakephp/cakephp

★ 8,794PHPAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

CakePHP is a PHP web application framework that helps developers build websites and web apps faster by following naming conventions instead of writing configuration from scratch, using the MVC pattern.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((CakePHP))
    What it does
      Build web apps in PHP
      MVC pattern
      Convention over config
    Tech Stack
      PHP
      Composer
    Use Cases
      Database-driven sites
      REST API backends
      Admin dashboards
    Getting Started
      App skeleton template
      Official docs book
      Slack and Discord
    Community
      Public roadmap
      Annual CakeFest conf
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Code map

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filefunction / class

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Build a database-driven website in PHP without writing boilerplate setup code by following CakePHP's naming conventions.

USE CASE 2

Scaffold a CRUD application where the framework automatically connects models, controllers, and views based on naming rules.

USE CASE 3

Add CakePHP to a new project via Composer using the official app skeleton template to get a ready-to-run folder structure.

USE CASE 4

Create a REST API backend in PHP with CakePHP's built-in ORM handling database queries.

Tech stack

PHPComposer

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires PHP and Composer installed locally, start from the official app skeleton rather than a blank project to get the expected folder structure.

MIT license, use freely for any purpose, including commercial projects, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

CakePHP is a web application framework written in PHP, aimed at developers who want to build websites and web applications faster by following established conventions rather than configuring everything from scratch. It has been around since 2005 and is one of the older PHP frameworks still in active use. The framework is structured around a pattern called MVC, which stands for Model-View-Controller. This is a way of organizing code so that the part that talks to the database, the part that handles the page layout, and the part that handles the application logic are each kept separate. CakePHP also uses a convention-over-configuration approach, meaning that if you follow its naming rules for files and database tables, the framework handles a lot of the connections automatically without requiring explicit setup. Installing CakePHP is done through Composer, which is PHP's standard package manager. The project recommends starting from an official application skeleton (a pre-built project template) rather than adding the library to a blank project, as the skeleton sets up the expected folder structure and configuration files. The README links to an official documentation book, an API reference, a curated list of community resources, tutorials, and an annual conference called CakeFest. Support is available through Slack, Discord, a community forum, and GitHub Issues. The project has an active contributor community and publishes a public roadmap on its wiki. The license is MIT, meaning you can use it freely in commercial and personal projects. Security issues are handled through a separate disclosure process described in the repository.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Generate a step-by-step guide to start a CakePHP blog app using the official app skeleton: Composer install, database setup, and creating a Post model, controller, and view following CakePHP conventions.
Prompt 2
Write a CakePHP controller method that fetches a paginated list of users from the database and returns them as JSON using CakePHP's ORM.
Prompt 3
Explain how CakePHP's naming conventions connect database table names to model classes, controller classes, and view templates so I can set up my first CRUD app correctly.
Prompt 4
Create a CakePHP form that accepts a name and email, validates both fields as required, and saves the result to a contacts table using the ORM.
Prompt 5
I have an existing PHP project and want to add CakePHP. Show me how to require it via Composer and wire up a basic route to a controller action.
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