EvolvePHP 2

2.x is the designated EvolvePHP 2 development branch and the GitHub default branch.

master remains the preserved EvolvePHP 1 legacy branch for historical reference and explicitly approved legacy maintenance. EvolvePHP 2 development and proposed changes must not target master.

EvolvePHP 2 is a separate redesign, not an in-place refactor, replacement or rewrite of the EvolvePHP 1 runtime history.

Phase 4.7 promoted the EvolvePHP 2 Composer, PHPUnit, PHPStan, PHP-CS-Fixer, Deptrac, release-validation and supply-chain development root from workspace/ to the repository root. The root project is not a seventh release package. That root cutover does not delete master, does not delete history and does not change the preserved EvolvePHP 1 line.

Project Overview

EvolvePHP is a modernization-first PHP framework project for building modular applications and evolving existing PHP systems without a full rewrite.

The current EvolvePHP 2 repository contains package boundaries, root Composer setup and root quality-tooling foundations. EvolvePHP 2 is under development and not production-ready. Runtime framework implementation is not yet complete, framework development is pre-release, and the packages are not yet published.

EvolvePHP 2 requires PHP 8.4. The current root quality pipeline is verified by GitHub Actions on PHP 8.4 and PHP 8.5 for the current root, tooling and package foundation.

Current Status

• EvolvePHP 2 development branch: 2.x
• GitHub default branch: 2.x
• Legacy line: EvolvePHP 1 on master
• Required 2.x checks: Policy (PHP 8.4), Workspace quality (PHP 8.4), Workspace quality (PHP 8.5)
• Runtime implementation: not yet complete
• Release status: pre-release, not production-ready
• Package publication: packages are not yet independently published
• PHP baseline: PHP 8.4
• CI verification: current root quality passes in GitHub Actions on PHP 8.4 and PHP 8.5

Workspace quality remains in protected CI context names for governance compatibility. It no longer means a tracked workspace/ directory exists on 2.x.

Branch Governance

Phase 2.7B completed the external governance transition without replacing history. Repository rulesets actively protect both branch lines: master remains preserved, and 2.x receives default-branch development changes.

The master ruleset requires pull requests, blocks deletion, blocks force-pushes, keeps required approvals at zero, requires conversation resolution and has no bypass actors.

The 2.x ruleset requires pull requests, blocks deletion, blocks force-pushes, enforces required CI status checks with strict up-to-date status-check policy, keeps required approvals at zero, requires conversation resolution and has no bypass actors.

master has not been renamed or deleted, no branch was renamed or deleted, no main branch has been created, and no 1.x branch has been created. Any stable-release branch rename or promotion remains deferred. Phase 2.7 does not replace the legacy history.

Requirements

• PHP 8.4
• Composer
• Git

The preserved EvolvePHP 1 line has different historical requirements. Use master only when intentionally reviewing or maintaining EvolvePHP 1.

Repository Layout

evolvephp/
|-- docs/history/    # Preserved EvolvePHP 1 historical documentation
|-- docs/rfcs/       # Accepted EvolvePHP 2 RFCs and governance index
|-- packages/        # Six EvolvePHP 2 package boundaries
|-- tests/           # Architecture and documentation policy tests
|-- tools/           # Root release and supply-chain validation tools
|-- composer.json    # EvolvePHP 2 root development manifest
|-- composer.lock    # Reproducible root development lockfile
|-- DEVELOPMENT.md   # Canonical development, quality and release commands
`-- README.md        # EvolvePHP 2 branch entry point

The EvolvePHP 1 runtime files are not present in the 2.x working tree after Phase 4.7. They remain preserved on master and in Git history.

Getting Started

git clone https://github.com/josiahking/evolvephp.git
cd evolvephp
git branch --show-current
composer install
composer quality

The normal clone path starts on 2.x because it is the GitHub default branch. For an older local checkout, verify the branch with git branch --show-current and run git switch 2.x only when the checkout is not already on 2.x.

Use DEVELOPMENT.md for detailed Composer, PHPUnit, PHPStan, PHP-CS-Fixer, Deptrac, supply-chain, release-validation and developer-experience commands.

Package Architecture

The current EvolvePHP 2 package set is documented in packages/README.md.

The package architecture uses explicit namespace ownership and inward dependency direction. Runtime contracts and framework behavior are added through approved implementation phases.

EvolvePHP 1 History

EvolvePHP 1 has been used as the foundation of Africa Global Export Market, a live business-to-business export platform serving more than 5,000 users.

That production-use background belongs to the preserved EvolvePHP 1 history. New EvolvePHP 2 work happens separately on 2.x, and EvolvePHP 2 changes must not target master. New production applications should not start from EvolvePHP 1 without a detailed security and compatibility review.

See the legacy overview, known risks and limitations, support policy and security policy.

Roadmap And RFCs

The authoritative RFC index is docs/rfcs/README.md.

RFC 0001 defines the accepted EvolvePHP 2 vision, scope and non-goals.

Author

Josiah Gerald

Senior Backend Engineer specializing in PHP, Laravel, REST APIs, payment integrations and production business platforms.

• GitHub: github.com/josiahking
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/josiah-g-0919763b

License

EvolvePHP is available under the BSD 3-Clause License.