--- /dev/null
+# sview : tiny PHP web framework
+
+It is inspired by [a similar framework](https://github.com/arnorhs/ShortPHP) written by Arnór Heiðar Sigurðsson.
+In the same spirit but more advanced and more complete, see also [nanoc](http://nanoc.ws/) - in Ruby.
+
+sview is designed to organize essentially static websites.
+It does not offer the features you would expect from a complete MVC framework -
+actually, it has only the "V" part.
+If you want a more demanding dynamic website, consider using an appropriate tool,
+[Symfony](http://symfony.com/) for example.
+
+## How to use it ?
+
+The file sample-website.tar.xz provides a basic but full website example.
+Alternatively, here are some details about sview usage.
+
+## 0. Installation
+
+In the following, I assume your website is located under http\[s\]://domain/topic/
+and is named "website" (adapt to your case). For example, in https://github.com/blog/
+domain = github.com and topic = blog.
+
+Get the source code either with `git clone` command or using a zip archive.
+Copy all folder contents in the website/ folder :
+
+ website/
+ a/
+ f/
+ site/
+ .htaccess
+ common.php
+ defaults.php
+ index.php
+ s.php</pre>
+
+* __a/__ (for "assets") is the folder for CSS files, images and javascript codes.
+ I like to put them respectively in css/, img/ and js/ folders, but the choice is yours.
+* __f/__ (for "files") is the folder for any downloadable (or browsable) file you may upload.
+* __site/__ is the main folder containing all your website pages. Three are already there :
+ * _404.php_ : the 404 error page;
+ * _dl.php_ : a script to download binary files;
+ * _home.php_ : the specifications for the welcome page.
+* __.htaccess__ : its main job consists in routing everything that is not a resource to the index.php file.
+* __common.php__ contains shared variables and functions to be used by at least two different pages.
+* __defaults.php__ defines default variables for any web page, like the title or javascripts block.
+* __index.php__ contains your website template, which is rendered for any web page
+ (and filled with specific values defined in pages under site/ folder; anything can be customized).
+* __s.php__ consists in the framework code, loaded at the beginning of index.php.
+
+Now (online), in the .htaccess file, change the line `RewriteBase /` to `RewriteBase /topic`.
+
+## 1. Set default contents
+
+Edit the file defaults.php with
+* A global title to your website; this title can later be mixed with a more specific page-based title, or be replaced.
+* A list of references to CSS style sheets and pre-rendering javascripts, like `<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cran.r-project.org/R.css"/>`.
+ We will see later how to refer to local style sheets (under a/css).
+* Some javascript code which will be loaded by default after every page loads (e.g. [jQuery](http://jquery.com/).
+
+Each variable name is prepended with "b\_" to avoid potential conflicts with your own variables.
+
+## 2. Complete main pages
+
+### index.php
+
+Complete
+* The menu (at commented location)
+* The banner (near the menu, if you want one)
+* The footer (if you don't want one, just drop it).
+
+You can also change the <meta> tags if needed.
+
+### site/home.php
+
+The welcome page. You can choose a title ($s\_title) or use the default one
+(by not specifying anything). Style sheets and javascripts can be customized, ...etc.
+Any default variable can be used to define a specific variable (prepended with "s\_").
+
+### site/404.php
+
+Customize it; it is probably viewed more often than you think ;-)
+
+## 3. Write all other pages
+
+All pages are under site/ folder, and you can nest them in any directory tree.
+
+__Hint__ : if you don't want to load the main template, just end any site file with a PHP `exit` directive.
+
+Now we will see how to access pages and resources (images, CSS, files, javascript).
+
+---
+
+## How to view a web page ?
+
+The page at physical location site/some\_folder/mypage.php is viewed in the web browser at the URL
+http\[s\]://domain/topic/website/some\_folder/mypage (thanks to URL rewriting defined in the .htaccess file).
+
+Any page can be linked internally using the `r()` PHP function ('r' for "resource"), like in
+the following : `<a href="<?php echo r('some_folder/mypage'); >>`. This function determines
+the nesting level and output the appropriate path.
+
+## How to access...
+
+_A CSS style sheet_ : its path is given by the following PHP function call
+`r('a/css/name_of_the_file.css')` from within any site file (assuming you place all CSS files
+under a/css/. They may be inside a nested folder structure).
+
+_An image_ : same as above, with `r('a/img/name_of_the_image.xxx')`.
+
+_A javascript file_ : same as above, with `r('a/js/name_of_the_file.js')`.
+
+## How to give a download link ?
+
+Just use a regular link pointing to `r('dl/?f=name_of_the_file.xxx')`, anywhere you want.
+
+---
+
+## Usual workflow
+
+Just add pages under site/ folder, and potential resources and files under a/ and f/.
+All other files will not change a lot.
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