The primary purpose for Backend-PHP is to convert data from a data source, typically a database, to a human or machiene readable format such as a website or a JSON object. This makes it the ideal tool for making data available as an API or website.

This web page is an HTML representation, or View, of data in the database. The JSON view can be accessed by either requesting this URL as text/json using the Accept header, or by specifying the mode in the url.

As Backend-PHP aims to be a RESTfull Web service, every url refers to an object, and the HTTP method, such as POST, GET and, DELETE, specifies what should be done with the specified object. So

GET /content/1

will retrieve the content object with id 1, and

POST /content/1

will update the content object with id 1 with the supplied parameters.

Combine this with the ability to specify the format you want the data in in the HTTP request, and you get a very powerful and flexible web service.

GET /content/list
Accept: text/json

GET /content/1
Accept: text/html

You only need to write the business logic behind data actions once, after which it becomes accessable in a wide number of formats, be it HTML, JSON or as a comma delimited file.