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Framework Laravel Package
laravel-zero/framework
Laravel Zero is a micro-framework for building elegant console applications on top of Laravel components, with optional Eloquent, logging, interactive menus, desktop notifications, task scheduling, and a standalone compiler.
The Laravel Zero Framework.
Frequently asked questions about Framework
- What is laravel-zero/framework used for?
- It is the core kernel of Laravel Zero, an unofficial, console-first distribution of Laravel used to build elegant command-line applications. It provides the console kernel, configuration repository, service providers, Collision error rendering, and optional scheduler and PHAR compiler. It is not a general-purpose library to bolt onto an existing application.
- Can I install laravel-zero/framework in an existing Laravel web app?
- No. Requiring it into a running Laravel web application is an anti-pattern and will fight the Illuminate\Foundation bootstrap. Adopt it only when standing up a new CLI-first application or formally extracting existing scripts into one. If you need shared logic with a web app, publish private Composer packages consumed by both the Laravel app and the Laravel Zero CLI.
- How do I create a new Laravel Zero console application?
- Start from the laravel-zero/laravel-zero application skeleton rather than requiring the framework package directly; the skeleton pulls in laravel-zero/framework transitively. The framework repository only contains the core code, so a bare composer require of it will not give you a working application. Use the skeleton's create-project flow to get a bootstrapped CLI app.
- Which PHP versions does laravel-zero/framework support?
- Releases are actively tested against PHP 8.3 through 8.5, with an explicit PHP 8.5 compatibility fix landing in version 12.0.5. Pin your PHP baseline and verify it against the framework's tested matrix before committing, especially if your fleet runs mixed PHP versions. A heterogeneous PHP fleet is a real constraint for both runtime and PHAR builds.
- How do I compile a Laravel Zero app into a standalone PHAR?
- Laravel Zero ships a standalone compiler that uses Box, currently pinned at 4.7.0. Your build environment needs phar.readonly=0 and a single PHP version on the build host, because multi-version PHP environments broke compilation until version 12.1.0. The pcntl extension is not required for the build command, which has been true since 10.1.2 and widens the set of viable CI runners.
- Does Laravel Zero support Eloquent and database access?
- Eloquent and Laravel Logging are available as optional installations rather than being enabled by default. They are additive, but each introduces its own version-coupling risk against the Laravel components you track. Decide up front whether your tools need database access or are stateless, because that determines whether you inherit migration and schema-drift concerns.
- Is laravel-zero/framework an official Laravel package?
- No, it is an unofficial, customized version of Laravel optimized for command-line applications. It tracks laravel/framework majors in lockstep, for example 11 to 12, with small but non-zero divergence, and config files were resynced as recently as 12.0.4. Treat it as a thin, opinionated composition layer over Laravel's component graph rather than as upstream Laravel itself.
- What are the alternatives to Laravel Zero for building PHP CLI tools?
- The main alternatives are plain Symfony Console, standalone scripts, or Artisan commands living inside an existing Laravel web application. Laravel Zero is the strong fit when your team is already Laravel-fluent and you want the container, config, service providers, scheduler, and Collision inside a CLI-first runtime with PHAR distribution. If a non-Laravel constituency such as Symfony Console or Python tooling owners must buy in, weigh that before standardizing.
- How do I test a Laravel Zero console application?
- Because Laravel Zero reuses Laravel's container, configuration, service providers, and Artisan-style command layer, you test commands the same way you would test Artisan commands in a Laravel app, with no HTTP test layer involved. The framework's own CI runs its test suite across supported PHP versions, so pinning your runtime to that matrix keeps you aligned with upstream coverage. Interactive menus, desktop notifications, and scheduler tasks are the areas worth explicit test coverage in your own app.
- What maintenance and upgrade risks should I plan for with laravel-zero/framework?
- Maintainer concentration is the highest non-technical risk, since the project is effectively driven by two primary maintainers, so plan for bus-factor exposure if it becomes a platform-wide CLI standard. Major-version cadence is roughly annual and coupled to Laravel majors, so you need an owned upgrade slot and a named person responsible for the Laravel 13 upgrade. PHAR edge cases such as migration folders inside the archive, ignored Box options, and multi-PHP builds have all shipped as bugfixes, meaning you should expect to absorb similar issues.
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