---
title: "Dotkernel Light - Starting with Mezzio microframework and Laminas components"
description: "Dotkernel Light is a stripped-down version of Dotkernel Frontend built on Mezzio and Laminas components, keeping only routing, templating, error handling, and tests, for a gentler learning curve."
author: "Florin Bidirean"
date_published: "2024-10-03"
canonical_url: "https://www.dotkernel.com/dotkernel/dotkernel-light-starting-with-mezzio-microframework-and-laminas-components/"
category: "Dotkernel"
language: "en"
---

# Dotkernel Light - Starting with Mezzio microframework and Laminas components

## TL;DR

Dotkernel Light is a version of Dotkernel Frontend that includes only the bare-bones essentials.
It's built on the Mezzio microframework using Laminas components, and is designed as a presentation site, a fast-start introduction to Mezzio, or a clean starting point for a project where you want full control over functionality.

## Goal

Dotkernel Light is designed to be a fast-start example of using the Mezzio microframework, as well as an entry-level version of Dotkernel Frontend.
Its purpose is to present the newbie developer with as few moving parts as possible, while also giving the more advanced developer a starting point with full control of the platform's functionality.

Light retains the modern architecture of Mezzio microframework and several Laminas components used in Dotkernel Frontend.
The low number of out-of-the-box components encourages active exploration of the functionality required by your application - you add only the packages your application needs.

## Components and functionality

Dotkernel Light is a stripped-down version of Dotkernel Frontend.
Like Frontend, it is built on top of Mezzio microframework using Laminas components, but with limited features and a lower number of packages, which makes the learning curve of working with the repo considerably gentler.

### Functionality retained

- Routing
- Templating
- Error handling
- Tests and code quality checks

### Items removed compared to Frontend

- Doctrine and all database-related stuff
- Sessions/Cookies/Flash messages
- Authentication/Authorization
- Dependency Injection
- Mail-related stuff
- Navigation
- CORS
- Forms/Validators/InputFilters
- User module
- Contact module
- Plugin module
- CSS/JS code no longer in use due to the above module removals
- Instructions from README.md that are no longer needed

### Packages no longer required

- dotkernel/dot-authorization
- dotkernel/dot-data-fixtures
- dotkernel/dot-dependency-injection
- dotkernel/dot-flashmessenger
- dotkernel/dot-mail
- dotkernel/dot-navigation
- dotkernel/dot-rbac-guard
- dotkernel/dot-response-header
- dotkernel/dot-session
- laminas/laminas-form
- laminas/laminas-i18n
- mezzio/mezzio-authorization-rbac
- mezzio/mezzio-cors
- ramsey/uuid-doctrine
- roave/psr-container-doctrine
- mezzio/mezzio-tooling
- rector/rector

## FAQ

**Q: What is Dotkernel Light?**
A: Dotkernel Light is a version of Dotkernel Frontend that includes only the bare-bones essentials.
It's suitable as a presentation site, an introduction to the Mezzio microframework architecture, or a starting point for a more complex project where you want full control over functionality.

**Q: What is the goal of Dotkernel Light?**
A: It's designed to be a fast-start example of using the Mezzio microframework as well as an entry-level version of Dotkernel Frontend, presenting the beginner developer with as few moving parts as possible while still letting the more advanced developer have full control of the platform's functionality.

**Q: What functionality does Dotkernel Light retain?**
A: It keeps routing, templating, error handling, and tests and code quality checks.

**Q: What was removed compared to Dotkernel Frontend?**
A: Items removed include Doctrine and all database related stuff, sessions/cookies/flash messages, authentication/authorization, dependency injection, mail related stuff, navigation, CORS, forms/validators/input filters, the User module, the Contact module, the Plugin module, unused CSS/JS code, and outdated README instructions.

**Q: Which packages are no longer required in Dotkernel Light?**
A: Packages such as dotkernel/dot-authorization, dotkernel/dot-mail, dotkernel/dot-session, dotkernel/dot-navigation, dotkernel/dot-flashmessenger, laminas/laminas-form, mezzio/mezzio-cors, and several others used by Frontend are not required.

## Resources

- Dotkernel Light GitHub repository: https://github.com/dotkernel/light
- Working demo of Dotkernel Light: https://light.dotkernel.net/
- Dotkernel Light documentation: https://docs.dotkernel.org/light-documentation/
- Laminas Project: https://getlaminas.org/
- Documentation of Mezzio: https://docs.mezzio.dev/