leaf

Command-line tool for scaffolding and managing Leaf PHP projects

TLDR

Create a new Leaf project (interactive preset selection)

$ leaf create [my-app]

Create a bare Leaf 3 project

$ leaf create [my-app] --basic

Create a project from the API preset

$ leaf create [my-app] --api

Create a project from the MVC preset

$ leaf create [my-app] --mvc

Install a Leaf module or Composer package into the current project

$ leaf install [package_name]

Start the local PHP development server on a custom port

$ leaf serve -p [8000]

Start the local server with file watching and hot reload

$ leaf serve --watch

Open an interactive shell against the current Leaf application

$ leaf interact

SYNOPSIS

leaf command [options] [arguments]

leaf is the official command-line companion for the Leaf PHP micro-framework. It scaffolds new applications from curated presets, installs first-party modules and Composer packages, runs a local development server, and exposes an interactive shell for debugging and exploration.The tool wraps composer and the PHP built-in web server, removing the boilerplate of project setup and module wiring. Presets such as --api and --mvc generate a ready-to-run directory layout with routing, environment loading, and module bindings already configured.When run in --watch mode, leaf serve restarts the server on file changes, providing a fast inner-loop for development. leaf interact boots the application and drops the user into a Tinker-style REPL where routes, models, and services can be invoked directly.

PARAMETERS

create name

Scaffold a new Leaf project. Combine with --basic, --api, --mvc, or --custom to choose a preset.

install package

Install a Leaf module (e.g. ui, auth, db) or any Composer package into the current project.

serve [-p port] [--watch]

Start the built-in PHP development server. -p sets the port, --watch enables hot reload on file changes.

interact

Open an interactive REPL bound to the current Leaf application context.

test

Run the project test suite.

deploy

Trigger a deployment for the current project (depends on configured driver).

--basic

Use the bare Leaf 3 starter (router + core only).

--api

Use the API-focused preset with routing, validation, and JSON helpers.

--mvc

Use the MVC preset (controllers, views, models).

--custom

Walk through an interactive setup to pick modules manually.

-h, --help

Show help for the CLI or a specific subcommand.

-v, --version

Print the installed CLI version.

CONFIGURATION

Installed globally via Composer:

$ composer global require leafs/cli

Composer's vendor bin directory must be on PATH:

Linux: $HOME/.config/composer/vendor/bin or $HOME/.composer/vendor/bin

macOS: $HOME/.composer/vendor/bin

Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Composer\vendor\bin

Project-level configuration lives in leaf.config.php (or environment variables loaded from .env). The CLI reads the working directory's composer.json to determine project type and available modules.

CAVEATS

Requires PHP 7.4+ and Composer. The CLI only manages PHP-side dependencies — assets and frontend tooling must still be handled separately (e.g. via npm). The name leaf collides with several unrelated projects (a Go file watcher, a deep learning framework, a terminal markdown previewer); make sure to install the correct package (leafs/cli).

HISTORY

The Leaf PHP framework was created by Michael Darko ("mychi.netlify.app") and the leafsphp organization, with the leaf CLI introduced to streamline project creation and module management. The CLI is published as leafs/cli on Packagist and is distributed under the MIT license.