PHPue FAQ

Short, direct answers about PHPue 0.0.3. Each answer links to the full topic.

What is PHPue?

PHPue is a server-side PHP framework that compiles Vue-like single-file components (.pvue files) into plain PHP. A .pvue file has a <script> block (PHP), a <header> block (head tags), a <template> block (HTML with {{ }}, p-if and p-for) and a <cscript> block (browser JavaScript). It needs no Node.js, bundler or build step. See What PHPue is.

Who created PHPue?

PHPue was created by Edward Patch. It is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence at github.com/PHPue/PHPue, with the official site at phpue.co.uk.

What is the latest version of PHPue?

The current release is PHPue 0.0.3, a bug-fix release that replaced 0.0.2's line-based regular expressions with a block parser and tag-aware directives, enforced @AJAX methods and added lazy sessions. See Upgrading from 0.0.2.

What do I need to run PHPue?

PHP 8.0 or newer and a web server that sends unknown URLs to index.php (PHP's built-in server, Apache with the included .htaccess, nginx with try_files, Docker, XAMPP or shared hosting). No Node.js, npm or Composer is required. See Quick start.

Is PHPue the same as Vue?

No. PHPue borrows Vue's single-file layout and directive style, but everything runs once on the server. There is no virtual DOM, reactivity, hydration, props, slots, emits or v-model. The <script> block is PHP. Client interactivity comes from plain JavaScript in <cscript>, @AJAX calls, or optionally AlpineJS. See Migration.

How do I print a variable in a PHPue template?

Use {{ $variable }}, which is HTML-escaped. Use array or object syntax for nested values, {{ $user['name'] }} or {{ $user->name }}, never {{ $user.name }} (the dot is PHP string concatenation). For trusted raw HTML use <?= $html ?>. See Templates.

Does PHPue have p-else or p-show?

No. PHPue's directives are p-if and p-for. For an else branch, add a second element with the negated condition (p-if="!$loggedIn") or use raw PHP: <?php if (...): ?> ... <?php else: ?> ... <?php endif; ?>. There is no p-model either; forms use plain name and value attributes.

How do I pass props to a PHPue component?

You don't need to: components are inlined at compile time and inherit every variable of the parent, like a PHP include. Set a variable before the tag (<?php $cardTitle = 'Hello'; ?><Card/>), or place the component inside a p-for loop and read the loop variable. Default inherited variables in the component ($cardTitle = $cardTitle ?? '';). See Components.

How does routing work in PHPue?

Each file in views/ is a route named after the file: views/about.pvue is /about and views/index.pvue is /. Routes are flat, so use query strings for detail pages (/blog?post=my-post). Register views in App.pvue with #require 'views/about.pvue';. See Routing.

How do I call PHP from JavaScript in PHPue?

Mark a PHP function with @AJAX('POST') (or @AJAX('GET')) in a <script> block, and call it with fetch('', {method: 'POST', headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'}, body: JSON.stringify({action: 'functionName', ...data})}). The function receives $input and must echo its response, usually json_encode(...). See @AJAX.

How do I handle forms in PHPue?

Either submit a normal <form method="post"> and handle $_POST in the view's <script>, or send the form as JSON to an @AJAX function. PHPue deliberately has no two-way binding: forms are submitted on purpose. File uploads go to a backend/ endpoint because @AJAX only reads JSON. See Recipes.

Can I use a database with PHPue?

Yes. Write a PDO (or any library) class in backend/, which PHPue loads on every request, and call it from views and @AJAX handlers, typically as a singleton: Database::getInstance()->latestPosts(). Always use prepared statements. See backend/.

Why can't my view see a variable from App.pvue?

App, each view and @AJAX handlers run in separate scopes. Share data through a backend/ singleton, define(), $_SESSION or $GLOBALS. See backend/, scope, sessions and language.

Why don't my .pvue changes show up?

A .dist/ folder exists, so PHPue serves the compiled copy. Delete .dist/ while developing, or rebuild with php index.php build. Also check for a stray App.php in the web root.

How do I deploy a PHPue app?

Run php index.php build in www/, then upload .dist/, assets/, httpReqs/, index.php, conversion.php and .htaccess to any PHP 8 host. index.php serves the precompiled pages. See Build and deploy.

Can I use Tailwind CSS, AlpineJS or HTMX with PHPue?

Yes. Tailwind works through its CLI (scan ./**/*.pvue and ./**/*.php) or the CDN. AlpineJS works in templates as-is, and the official x-ssr extension lets Alpine update server-rendered lists. HTMX works for boosted navigation and partial updates; @AJAX POST needs a JSON-encoding extension. See client JS.

Is PHPue good for SEO?

Yes. Pages are fully rendered HTML on the first response with no hydration. Use static <title> and meta in view headers, or dynamic meta from App.pvue (the MetaControl extension), and set PHPUE_SESSION to 'lazy' so anonymous pages are cacheable. See Official extensions.

Is PHPue production ready?

PHPue is young (0.0.x) and its community is small, but it is plain PHP underneath: when a directive does not fit, you write normal PHP, and compiled output is ordinary PHP files. It suits content sites, dashboards, admin panels and small apps. Pin the framework files per project and test after upgrading.

How can AI assistants write correct PHPue code?

Point them at https://ai.phpue.co.uk/llms-full.txt (everything in one file) or /llms.txt (an index of markdown topics), and add the AGENTS.md from Rules for AI coding agents to your project. Ask the agent to compile changed files with convert_pvue_file() and check them with php -l.

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