Quick start: an explicit JSON route

This guide uses the Web scaffold, Engine, HTTP engine and Router together. Engine alone is not a complete application. Web requires PHP ^8.2, curl and json; its dependency tree adds requirements such as intl. Engine alone declares PHP ^8.1 and Server ^4. Do not replace Server 4 with Server 7 in this scaffold.

Create and inspect the application

composer create-project triangle/web my-app
cd my-app
composer check-platform-reqs
composer show --direct
composer show localzet/server

Keep the resulting composer.lock. A successful dependency resolution does not prove runtime compatibility: see compatibility notes. The old documentation’s port 88 is not the current Web default; config/server.php defaults to http://127.0.0.1:8000. An environment file can override it. Inspect SERVER_LISTEN in your own .env and keep it on loopback for local development. Never copy real credentials into examples.

Define the route

Replace config/route.php with:

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

use Triangle\Request;
use Triangle\Response;
use Triangle\Router;

Router::get('/api/hello/{name}', static function (Request $request, string $name): Response {
    return responseJson(['message' => 'Hello, ' . $name]);
});

This file executes route registration; it must not return a configuration array. responseJson() returns a JSON response directly. response()->json() and Triangle\View\View::render() are not the API used by this source. The native scaffold maps app\controller to app/controller; preserve path/namespace case on Linux.

Local worker configuration

In config/server.php, make the environment value explicitly numeric:

'count' => (int) env('SERVER_COUNT', 1),

The reviewed scaffold passes the environment string through unchanged; with SERVER_COUNT=1 this can fail the typed Server helper. The isolated check uses this cast and disables the optional process monitor with config/process.php returning an empty array. It is a minimal route check, not verification of every background process or production setting.

Run and verify

php master start

In another terminal:

curl -i http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/hello/Reader

The route is intended to return HTTP 200, Content-Type: application/json and {"message":"Hello, Reader"}. Stop the foreground process with Ctrl+C. Reload PHP worker code after changes; a long-running worker does not reload every file per request.

Choosing a response helper

• responseJson($data, $status, $headers) serializes the supplied data directly.
• response($data, $status) can wrap data in status/data, add debug output, choose a view, and honor app.http_always_200. It is not interchangeable with a raw JSON contract.
• view('index/view', ['name' => 'Triangle']) uses the configured view renderer. Do not assume a View facade exists.

Database-backed routes additionally need a configured database, migrations, model policy, input validation and authorization. A POST endpoint that simply calls User::create() is not a safe starter API. Those concerns are intentionally outside this minimal route.

Sources: Web scaffold, Engine response helpers, View helpers. Reviewed 2026-10-17. Web retains its own MIT license; component licenses are separate. New example: AGPL-3.0-or-later, Ivan Zorin / Localzet Group.