Simplicity. Performance. Clarity.
Simplicity
The concept of “less is more” is often lost, and will be a guiding principle in all the code for the system. When a single class will do the job needed, it will be used rather than unnecessary design patterns for the sake of matching what one would expect from a text book. The goal is to produce a lightweight system, where the decision to use the engine vs using pure PHP is never an issue.
Performance
High performance is a critical aspect of the system. Proper use of caching, minimization of unnecessary files and complex structures will be important.
Clarity
The code must be clear and easy to understand with a very low learning curve. It must be something that remains out of the way of the site or application, making it easier to build the final product, as well as to maintain and enhance it afterwards. To accomplish this the code structure will need to be highly organized, providing clear separation between the system code and business logic of the site/app, as well as separation between frontend and backend code.
Additional objectives
- better balance between frontend (JS) and backend (PHP) than most existing frameworks
- simplicity chosen over an unnecessary emphasis on elaborate design patterns