Application - Introduction

Overview

One of the key features of Cresenity Framework is the CApp object — a page builder that serves as the core of page construction. CApp handles the full page lifecycle: theme loading, asset management, navigation, content rendering, and response generation.

The CApp instance is a singleton and can be accessed using c::app():

<?php
class Controller_Home extends CController {
    public function index() {
        $app = c::app();

        return $app;
    }
}

When you return $app from a controller, the framework automatically renders the complete HTML page using the configured theme, registered assets, navigation, and content.

What CApp Handles

CApp manages several aspects of a page:

• Theme — determines the HTML layout, CSS, and JavaScript
• Title — the page title shown in the browser tab
• Navigation — sidebar or top navigation menus
• Content — UI elements (tables, forms, widgets, views) added programmatically or via Blade views
• Assets — CSS and JavaScript files registered at runtime
• Authentication — login requirements and auth guards
• SEO — meta tags and Open Graph data

Basic Usage

A typical controller using CApp:

<?php
class Controller_App_Dashboard extends CController {
    public function index() {
        $app = c::app();
        $app->title('Dashboard');
        $app->setLoginRequired(true);
        $app->setNav('main');

        $app->addView('dashboard', [
            'stats' => $this->getStats(),
        ]);

        return $app;
    }
}

CApp vs Other Response Types

For most web pages in a CF application, CApp is the recommended approach. Use other response types for APIs, redirects, or pages that need a completely custom layout.