Apivalk - The OpenAPI-First Framework for REST APIs That Soar

Introducing Apivalk

Apivalk is a lightweight, framework-agnostic PHP REST API framework designed for robust, type-safe and well-documented APIs. Inspired by the Valkyrie - the mythical winged warrior - Apivalk focuses on speed, precision, and strength in your backend.

Built to fly across both legacy (PHP 7.2+) and modern (PHP 8+) environments, Apivalk is your companion for clean, maintainable and performant API development.

• OpenAPI-first architecture with auto-generated routes, validation, and documentation from a single source of truth.
• Framework-agnostic - Integrate with Laravel, Symfony, Slim or native PHP. Keep your architecture, add direction.
• Type-safe request & response handling with strict typing, DTOs and clean-code oriented interfaces.
• Ultra-lightweight with minimal dependencies and a strong focus on performance.
• Part of the Apivalk ecosystem - shared patterns, tools, and documentation.

// Install via Composer
composer require apivalk/apivalk-php

// Example HTTP layer structure (Laravel, Symfony, ...)
// app/Http/Api/Controller/Pet/CreatePetController.php
// app/Http/Api/Request/Pet/CreatePetRequest.php
// app/Http/Api/Response/Pet/CreatePetResponse.php

// Bootstrap Apivalk in your kernel / front controller
$apivalkConfiguration = new ApivalkConfiguration(
    // openapi: __DIR__ . '/openapi.yaml',
    // middleware, handlers, ...
);

$apivalk = new Apivalk($apivalkConfiguration);
$apivalk->run();

// Example catch-all integration in Laravel
Route::any('{any}', function () use ($apivalk) {
    return $apivalk->handleRequest(request());
})->where('any', '.*');