I wrote about how I bootstrap my PHP apps without a fullstack framework like Laravel or Symfony. One file, a PSR-11 container, and four entry points covered: web, CLI, standalone scripts, and tests.

The key idea is that bootstrap.php returns a configured container. Every entry point requires it, grabs what it needs, and nothing leaks into the global namespace.

Going frameworkless is not about purism. It is about control. Use only what you need, nothing more.