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Framework Guides

Framework & Workflow Guides

Step-by-step guides for popular PHP frameworks and development workflows.

Available Guides

Framework-Specific Guides

  • Laravel Complete Guide ⭐ Most Popular

    • Full Laravel setup with MySQL, Redis, and Scheduler
    • Development environment with Xdebug and MailHog
    • Production deployment configuration
    • Common mistakes and solutions

  • Symfony Complete Guide

    • Complete Symfony setup with PostgreSQL and Redis
    • Cache pools and session configuration
    • Doctrine migrations and database management
    • Production optimization

  • WordPress Complete Guide

    • WordPress installation with MySQL
    • WP-CLI usage and plugin development
    • Redis Object Cache setup
    • Production deployment and optimization

Workflow Guides

  • Development Workflow

    • Local development with hot-reload
    • Xdebug setup and debugging tips
    • Testing and quality assurance
    • Git workflow integration

  • Image Processing Guide 🖼️ New

    • GD, ImageMagick, and libvips comparison
    • HEIC/HEIF conversion (iPhone photos)
    • PDF generation and SVG rendering
    • Browsershot setup for screenshots/PDFs
    • Laravel integration (Intervention, Spatie Media)

  • Production Deployment

    • Security hardening checklist
    • Performance optimization
    • Monitoring and logging
    • CI/CD integration
    • Zero-downtime deployments

  • Cbox vs ServerSideUp ✨ New

    • DX, docs, and feature scorecard
    • Actionable follow-ups to widen the gap
    • Talking points for stakeholders

  • Health Checks & CI Templates ✨ New

    • Docker Compose health-check override file
    • GitHub Actions workflow for php artisan test
    • Deployment-ready verification checklist

What You'll Learn

  • Complete framework setup from scratch
  • Database and caching configuration
  • Development and production environments
  • Image processing with GD, ImageMagick, libvips
  • Common mistakes and how to avoid them
  • Testing and debugging strategies
  • Deployment best practices

Prerequisites

Before starting these guides, you should:

  1. Complete the 5-Minute Quickstart
  2. Have Docker and Docker Compose installed
  3. Have your framework application ready (or create a new one)

Common Patterns

All framework guides follow these principles:

  • Copy-paste ready examples - All code works without modification
  • Progressive complexity - Start simple, add features incrementally
  • Real explanations - Understand WHY, not just WHAT
  • Expected output - See what success looks like
  • Inline troubleshooting - Common mistakes with solutions
  • Production ready - Configuration suitable for real deployments

Need Help?

Other Frameworks

These frameworks work out of the box with Cbox PHP Base Images:

  • Statamic -- Runs on Laravel. Use the Laravel Guide.
  • Drupal / TYPO3 / Magento -- Use the standard tier with the Quickstart. No framework-specific configuration needed.

Can't find your framework? Check the Community Guides or create one and share it!