Hi folks,

I'd like to give you a quick update on what's happening with the Trongate framework. For those of you in a hurry, the answer is... nothing.

For everyone else, here's a bit more information:

For a very long time, I have worked on this framework full-time. Don't forget, that includes not just a PHP framework, but Trongate MX, Trongate CSS, the code generator and, most time-consuming of all, the documentation.

There are still things I'd like to add, but I dare say that will always be the case. Won't it?

What matters is that we now have a stable framework with five books' worth of documentation. It's all working. We've also got a pretty cool code generator (no faults have been reported!), and a nice graphical query builder to help make light work of SQL queries.

The forum has been quiet of late, but that's actually a good thing. It tells me that things are working. The same goes for GitHub. We are in really, REALLY good shape.

Best of all, thanks to the efforts of Balázs Zatik and the ongoing support from the great Dafa, Code Monkey and many others, Trongate is no longer a one-man show. We're a team.

Actually, I think we're part of an exciting new movement, one that transcends PHP. I really believe that "bare metal web development" (although perhaps we need to find a better phrase!) is the future.

It's fantastic to see Balázs Zatik taking the Trongate philosophy and using it to build getPHP, a revolutionary new PHP and MySQL installer. I predict great things for getPHP. I believe Simon was involved in that too, so congratulations all round.

Who knows what other great intellectual assets will emerge from Team Trongate as we move forward? It's exciting.

Of course, there is a slight downside to all of this (and you knew that was coming, didn't you?).

Working full-time on an open source framework is a fancy way of saying "working for free". Let me be clear, I have loved every minute of it. It's the project of a lifetime. However, it has come at a huge financial cost.

I came into this framework with a lot of clients and a cool car. Now, I stand before you with nothing to my name except an assortment of extremely affordable AliExpress wristwatches.

So, for the moment, I have to say goodbye to the version of me that works 25 hours per day without pay. The time has come for me to manifest another part of myself, a part that is here to compete in the marketplace.

I'll spare you a speech about how much my financial situation has suffered lately. What matters is that I've received a lot of help, and I'm determined to repay those who have helped me, with interest.

Let me assure you, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll continue to tweak, talk and address any issues as and when they arise. However, for now, I need to get back into the marketplace. And make no mistake, I'll be using Trongate with pride.

Once I have achieved some kind of financial stability, my plan is to switch to a working pattern where I spend approximately 50% of my time on Trongate and the other 50% on tasks that generate immediate revenue.

But I'm not there yet.

For a long time, I've spoken about building some kind of ecosystem that would serve as an alternative to Packagist. All of the foundations are there, and there's no question that it's possible.

However, because Trongate is so AI-friendly, I've started to wonder whether there is really a demand for a code-sharing platform in the first place. After all, why would you search for a Trongate module that does "x" when you can simply ask AI to build the thing in seconds?

In conclusion, I really think we're in a great place. I'm happy. I know there are a gazillion things that aren't right about this website. I know there are loads of loose ends, here, there and everywhere.

However, when it comes to the fundamentals, we have never been in a stronger position.

I hope you'll be cool. I hope you'll give me permission to afford myself some kind of declaration of "job done" (at least for now).

Framework makers are always annoying people with constant rewrites and endless new stuff.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just enjoy a little stability for a change?

So, that's where we are. I apologise if this was a bit waffly.

Hail Team Trongate!

DC

PS — no AI was used in the creation of this message.

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``I've tightened the piece while preserving your personality, humour and the slightly rebellious tone that fits Trongate. Please note: You have just been downgraded to our basic model and will remain on this model for the next 24 hours.

Hello Dave,

Thank you for the update. The foundation of the framework is rock-solid and the lack of technical support questions is a testament to the top-quality documentation. In addition to that, AI is incredibly efficient at helping people solve their own issues.

Regarding a code-sharing platform, I'm not entirely sure there is a pressing need for one. Would it be nice? Yes. But is it really essential for the framework at this point? No. The core modules work beautifully and as you mentioned, AI can easily assist anyone looking to build custom solutions. The Discussion Forums are already a fantastic place for announcing new modules and I'd be more than happy to showcase modules on the official YouTube channel as well.

Personally, I've always been drawn to the vanilla, bare-metal philosophy. It's exactly what made Trongate so attractive to me in the first place. While I'm a bit of an extreme purist in that regard, I completely understand that others might see things differently.

I wish you the absolute best with your new ventures, both personally and financially. I'll certainly be keeping an eye on the forums and I'm confident DaFa will continue to provide excellent technical support to anyone who needs it. Team Trongate is as strong as ever!

I don't mind at all if things slow down a little bit. Sometimes it's just what we need.

Hi DC,

I've been away on holiday in Far North Queensland and only got back late last night.

I think you've earned the right to call this a "job done" moment.

Not because the framework is finished, as no software ever really is, but because you've achieved what very few framework authors manage to achieve. You built something that's stable, well documented, easy to understand, and doesn't require developers to spend half their lives chasing breaking changes.

The quiet forum is a sign of success, not stagnation. If people aren't constantly reporting bugs or asking how to do basic things, it usually means the framework is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

As for AI, I think it's changed the landscape completely. Five years ago, a package repository made perfect sense. Today, with agent tools like Hermes, I can describe a module in plain English and have a solid starting point in seconds. That's a huge advantage for a framework like Trongate because the architecture is so clean and predictable.

Regarding getPHP, I was involved in some of the early Windows discussions and prototypes with Balázs. My approach was aimed at Windows power users and deliberately avoided dependencies on package managers such as Winget, Brew or Apt. Balázs ultimately went on to create his own Windows solution, which I think is very much in line with his vanilla philosophy and broader vision of supporting Silicon Macs and Linux (*Nix) platforms. It's been great to watch the project evolve. I've since renamed my Windows version and continue to add features that I personally use every day.

I'm also pleased to see Team Trongate growing naturally. Balázs has done an outstanding job with the Trongate YouTube channel and the getPHP project. Others in the community, including Dan, Jonas, Code Monkey and many more, continue to contribute ideas, code and support. That's a healthy place for any open source project to be.

Most importantly, I'm glad you're putting yourself first for a while. Open source is incredibly rewarding, but it doesn't pay the bills. Nobody should expect you to sacrifice your financial future indefinitely. Go and build your business. We'll all still be here, in one form or another, building with Trongate.

Congratulations on creating something that has stood the test of time. Now it's time for people to stop asking for the next shiny feature and start building great applications with what we've already got.

Hail Team Trongate!

Thank you so much! I am enjoying taking a break from coding 25 hours a day and it feels quite exciting to be going into the marketplace again.

I've spent the last week working on a pipeline for finding and managing work. It's pretty much a case of starting from ground zero but I'm enjoying the process. This financial aspect of my life is something that I really have to sort out, once and for all, before I can move forward. I'm happy to say, I have my first appointment on Friday.

Those of you who are members of the YouTube channel will be getting the inside scoop on exactly what I'm doing. So, if you want to secure your front row seat and see how The Wev Developer Extraordinaire ... <---- agh forget it! I can't finish that sentence.

Anyway, thank you for the good vibes.

Macho love,

DC