From c9ad44208d7c0822c4095e30d28c1547f528101b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: LordSchmackes Date: Fri, 22 May 2026 08:09:05 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] docs: create README with codebase overview, tech-stack, and setup guide --- README.md | 91 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 91 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README.md diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9c2bb3b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,91 @@ +# 🍳 FlixCooks – Premium Culinary Experience + +Welcome to **FlixCooks**, a high-end, immersive recipe web application built on vanilla technologies. Drawing aesthetic inspiration from state-of-the-art luxury design concepts (such as *Floema*, *Capitolium*, and *fromanother*), FlixCooks marries gorgeous visual design with swift, lightweight performance. + +--- + +## πŸ›οΈ Codebase Architecture + +The project is architected to remain extremely lightweight and fast, intentionally bypassing heavy frameworks in favor of a clean, optimized vanilla stack. + +### Core Structure +- **Root Pages**: + - `index.php`: The atmospheric landing page showcasing featured recipe selections, introducing the brand, and housing the **Sleek Swipe Discovery Carousel**. + - `recipe.php`: The immersive recipe detail page, featuring floating macro-nutrition widgets, interactive ingredients lists, and the fullscreen **Step-by-Step Cooking Mode**. + - `admin.php`: A custom, lightweight CMS/admin dashboard allowing full CRUD capabilities over the recipe database, dynamic ingredient line parsing, cooking timers, and video URL associations. + - `login.php` & `register.php`: Fully responsive, glassmorphic auth portals powered by Firebase. +- **Support & Layouts**: + - `partials/`: Contains modular templates (`head.php`, `header.php`, `footer.php`) to maintain a clean DRY structure. + - `helpers.php`: Core PHP utilities containing data formatting helpers and the data access layer for the flat-file database. + - `config.php`: Environment-independent configuration loader which reads runtime secrets from `.env`. + - `api/`: Lightweight, stateless backend endpoints supporting AJAX operations (e.g., newsletter subscriptions, bookmarks, recommendation queries). + - `data/`: Houses `recipes.json`, our flat-file recipe database. + +--- + +## πŸ’» Tech-Stack + +FlixCooks uses a modern, carefully curated vanilla tech-stack focused on lightning-fast speed, dynamic transitions, and pristine responsive aesthetics. + +### 🎨 Frontend & Design Systems +- **Core Structure**: Semantic HTML5 & Vanilla PHP layout templates. +- **Styling**: Vanilla CSS leveraging custom properties (CSS variables), `clamp()` functions for seamless fluid typography and spacing, asymmetric layouts (`FloemaLayoutGrid` 24-column grid), and modern glassmorphism overlay styles. +- **Smooth Scrolling**: [Lenis Smooth Scroll](https://github.com/darkroomengineering/lenis) for premium, inertia-driven page physics. +- **Animations**: [GSAP (GreenSock Animation Platform)](https://greensock.com/gsap/) and ScrollTrigger for advanced storytelling, pinned sequences, and micro-interactions. +- **Fonts**: Elegantly paired fonts (Playfair Display for headings and modern, geometric Manrope for high-readability body copy). + +### βš™οΈ Backend & Data +- **Engine**: Vanilla PHP. +- **Database**: Flat-file JSON database (`data/recipes.json`), allowing lightning-quick load times and simple structural schemas without heavy overhead. +- **Environment**: Custom `.env` variable parser integrated into PHP bootstrap. + +### πŸ”’ Integrations & Cloud Services +- **Firebase Authentication**: Client and server-side synchronized user sessions for profile management. +- **Firebase Firestore**: Real-time database managing newsletter subscribers and user bookmarks/favorites lists. + +--- + +## πŸš€ Local Development Setup + +Follow these simple steps to spin up the local development environment. + +### Prerequisites +Make sure you have the following installed on your local machine: +- **PHP** (v7.4 or higher recommended) +- A modern web browser + +### 1. Set Up Environment Variables +1. Duplicate the template environment file: + ```bash + cp .env.example .env + ``` +2. Open `.env` and fill in your actual **Firebase project settings** (API keys, project identifier, authentication domain, etc.): + ```env + FIREBASE_API_KEY="AIzaSyYourApiKeyHere" + FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN="flixcooks-your-project-id.firebaseapp.com" + ... + ``` + +### 2. Start the Development Server + +#### Option A: PHP Built-in Web Server (Recommended & Easiest) +You do not need to install complex local servers like Apache or Nginx. Simply run the following command in the root folder of the project: +```bash +php -S localhost:8000 +``` +Then, open your browser and navigate to: +``` +http://localhost:8000 +``` + +#### Option B: Local Apache Environments (XAMPP / MAMP / WAMP) +If you prefer running a full local stack: +1. Move or link the project directory inside your local server's document root (e.g., `htdocs` or `www`). +2. Ensure URL rewriting is enabled (the included `.htaccess` file handles caching and custom redirections). +3. Access the site via your custom local virtual host (e.g., `http://localhost/flixcooks-website`). + +--- + +## πŸ“ˆ Development Tracking & Progress +All current development tasks, features, and roadmaps are actively tracked and updated in the project’s [.agents/TODO.md](file:///.agents/TODO.md) file. +Architectural learnings, conventions, and configuration updates are maintained in the central knowledge base: [.agents/brain.md](file:///.agents/brain.md).