README

ZenDB: PHP/MySQL Database Library

A PHP/MySQL database layer that's easy to use and hard to misuse.

• SQL injection is impossible: ZenDB rejects any query with inline values. Every dynamic value goes through placeholders, not because you remembered, but because there's no other way.
• XSS is prevented by default: Every value from the database HTML-encodes itself on output. You don't call htmlspecialchars(). Neither does the next developer.
• Fast to learn, fast to use: The methods mirror SQL: select, insert, update, delete. If you know MySQL, you already know ZenDB, and if you don't, you will soon!

Why SQL?

Most database libraries invent their own query language - chained methods, builder patterns - that ends up just as complex as SQL but less powerful. ZenDB takes the opposite approach: don't teach people a complicated thing that replaces SQL. Just use SQL and make it safe.

SELECT, WHERE, JOIN, ORDER BY - that's all you need to query with ZenDB. The library handles the security (parameterization, escaping, validation) so you can write the SQL you already know without worrying about injection.

What's Inside

• 30-Second Quickstart
• Getting Started - Installation, connection, first queries
• Method Reference - Every method, parameter type, and return value
• AI Quick Reference - Single-page reference for AI assistants and humans alike

More documentation coming soon - querying, results, joins, placeholders, and more.

30-Second Quickstart

composer require itools/zendb

use Itools\ZenDB\DB;

// Connect
DB::connect([
    'hostname'    => 'localhost',
    'username'    => 'dbuser',
    'password'    => 'secret',
    'database'    => 'my_app',
    'tablePrefix' => 'app_',   // optional
]);

// Select rows
$users = DB::select('users', "status = ?", 'active');
foreach ($users as $user) {
    echo "Hello, $user->name!"; // auto HTML-encoded
}

// Get a single row
$user = DB::selectOne('users', "id = ?", 1);

// Insert a row
$newId = DB::insert('users', [
    'name'  => 'Alice',
    'city'  => 'Vancouver',
]);

// Update a row
$newValues = ['city' => 'Toronto'];
$where     = ['id' => $newId]; // arrays work too
DB::update('users', $newValues, $where);

// Delete a row
DB::delete('users', ['id' => $newId]);

// Full SQL when you need it (:: inserts your table prefix)
$rows = DB::query("SELECT name, city FROM ::users WHERE status = :status AND city = :city", [
    ':status' => 'active',
    ':city'   => 'Vancouver',
]);

When you might NOT want ZenDB

• You need an ORM with models, migrations, or an ActiveRecord pattern
• You need to support databases other than MySQL/MariaDB (and compatible alternatives)
• You need async or non-blocking database queries
• You prefer writing raw SQL without any abstraction

Related Libraries

• SmartArray - Enhanced arrays with chainable methods
• SmartString - Secure string handling with auto HTML-encoding

Questions?

Post a message in our forum.

License

MIT