Dotkernel Headless Platform - The Whats, Hows and Whys

Components of the Dotkernel Headless Platform

The Dotkernel Headless Platform contains two major components:

• Dotkernel API - a REST API based on the Mezzio skeleton.
• Dotkernel Admin - a complementary component aimed at quickly setting up a backend for your platform.

The Admin is not bundled by default but is available as a first-party, installable application designed to work seamlessly alongside your API. Together, they form a cohesive system: an API-first backend paired with a rich administrative interface, both built on the same underlying architecture and standards.

Both components use a PSR-compliant middleware stack, implementing PSR-7 and PSR-15 as defined by the PHP Framework Interop Group, promoting a lean, modular architecture.

Rather than relying on elements built into the framework, business logic is built from scratch - from handlers to dependencies - giving full control over business logic and data architecture.

How to Use the Dotkernel Headless Platform

Dotkernel API and Admin can be installed separately or together, based on business requirements. They are normally designed to complement each other:

• Dotkernel Admin manages the data (create, edit, delete).
• Dotkernel API exposes the content to 3rd-party frontends or backends.

A simple project can be designed around one of the two at first, then expand to the other:

• Start with Dotkernel Admin to populate your database, then later use Dotkernel API to present the data to other frontends written in any programming language, integrating with 3rd-party applications for full control over how data is presented.
• Start with Dotkernel API and integrate it into an existing platform. The API can manage access permissions to keep data secure - admins create and edit data for the backend, while users read data for the frontend. Admin can be added later for its simple table-based approach, reports, and graphs.

The recommendation is to use both API and Admin from the start.

Benefits of the Dotkernel Headless Platform Architecture

Using both API and Admin together brings several benefits:

Common code between applications

The file structure can be configured to use a Core module - a common code repository shared between API and Admin, ensuring entities and queries stay consistent. Entities (products, articles, etc.) are the building blocks of the application, and queries handle CRUD interactions with them.

Implement only the handlers you need

Having many entities in the Core doesn't require implementing handlers for each one in both API and Admin. Each application only handles what it needs - for example, a shop may need to edit orders in Admin but only build monthly sales reports via the API.

Shared file structure

API and Admin share a file structure, so becoming familiar with one makes the other easy to pick up. This means onboarding is easy and the applications can be maintained by fewer developers - potentially a single developer, at least initially. By contrast, an API+Angular approach often needs two developers working together to implement a new feature.

Can satisfy any application size

Thanks to the shared Core module, API and Admin evolve together, forming a good starting point for anything from microservices to enterprise-grade APIs. A large number of packages are available for integration, and developers decide exactly what modules to include, keeping the finished application lightweight and preventing bloat and long-term technical debt.

Versatile architecture

The Dotkernel architecture aims to support several architectural designs:

• Clean Architecture - software components are organized into concentric layers, with code dependencies flowing from outer to inner layers, improving testability and independence from libraries, UI, and databases.
• Domain-Driven Design (DDD) - the focus is on custom solutions for business logic; rather than building reusable services for a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), only the specific components needed to satisfy requirements are implemented.
• Hexagonal Architecture - divides a system into several loosely-coupled, interchangeable components (application core, database, user interface, test scripts, interfaces with other systems), as an alternative to traditional layered architecture.

Supported by an active community

The Dotkernel development team actively investigates and implements recommended design patterns. Dotkernel applications and packages continue to receive updates with bugfixes, improvements, and recommendations from the PHP community. Some updates may break backward compatibility, but this is typically highlighted in companion articles that may include step-by-step tutorials. The Dotkernel team is available to help with issues related to Dotkernel and Laminas apps and components.

Frequently Asked Questions