folderweb/app/default/content/articles/2025-11-01-getting-started/article.md

Getting Started with FolderWeb

FolderWeb is designed to be the simplest way to publish content on the web. This guide will walk you through the core concepts and get you publishing in minutes.

Installation

FolderWeb requires PHP 8.3+ and Apache with mod_rewrite enabled.

Using Docker (Recommended for Development)

cd development
docker compose up

Visit http://localhost:8080 to see your site.

Manual Installation

1. Point Apache's document root to the /content directory
2. Ensure the /app directory is accessible at the same level
3. Enable mod_rewrite in Apache
4. That's it!

Creating Your First Page

The easiest way to understand FolderWeb is to create some content.

Create a Simple Page

1. Create a new directory: /content/hello/
2. Add a file: /content/hello/page.md
3. Write some Markdown:

# Hello World

This is my first page in FolderWeb!

Your page is now live at /hello/

Create an Article with Metadata

For richer content, add metadata:

1. Create: /content/articles/2025-11-01-my-article/
2. Add metadata: /content/articles/2025-11-01-my-article/metadata.ini

title = "My First Article"
date = "2025-11-01"
summary = "A brief description of my article"

3. Add content: /content/articles/2025-11-01-my-article/article.md

The date in the folder name is automatically extracted and displayed.

File Types

FolderWeb supports three content types:

• Markdown (.md) - Write in Markdown, rendered as HTML
• HTML (.html) - Pure HTML for complete control
• PHP (.php) - Dynamic content when needed

File Naming Conventions

• Page content: page.md, page.html, page.php
• Articles/posts: article.md, post.md, single.md (and .html/.php variants)
• Frontpage: /content/frontpage.php
• Index override: index.php in any directory takes precedence

Next Steps

• Read the Templates Guide to customize your site
• Learn Markdown syntax for better content
• Explore the default templates in /app/default/templates/