A lightweight, modular application foundation for CodeIgniter 3.
💻 GitHub • 🧩 Packages • 🧱 Projects • 📦 Repositories
CiSkeleton (CSK) is a lightweight, modular application foundation built on CodeIgniter 3.
It provides a structured foundation for building modern PHP web applications without imposing a large or complicated ecosystem. CSK focuses on clarity, modularity, performance, and developer control.
CiSkeleton is created, developed, and maintained by Ianhub, the independent software brand of Kader Bouyakoub.
Ianhub is responsible for the continued development, maintenance, and evolution of CiSkeleton.
For more information about Ianhub and its other projects, visit github.com/ianhubnet.
CiSkeleton started as a private application framework used to build internal and commercial web applications. It has since evolved into a modular framework and ecosystem designed to be useful to developers building their own applications.
CSK extends CodeIgniter 3 with a collection of infrastructure, application services, development conventions, and installable components.
Core Highlights
- Modular architecture with a built-in administration interface.
- Extensible themes, modules, plugins, and languages.
- Structured authentication and authorization.
- Entity-based application architecture.
- Flexible storage and driver systems.
- Built-in package and project management.
- Designed with performance and maintainability in mind.
- Familiar PHP and CodeIgniter-style development.
- No dependency on a large third-party package ecosystem.
The CiSkeleton ecosystem is organized into several types of repositories.
Core
- core — The CiSkeleton application framework and core system.
- common — Shared assets and resources used throughout the CSK ecosystem.
Packages
CSK supports installable components that extend an application without modifying the framework core.
- Modules — Add complete application features and systems.
- Plugins — Extend or modify framework behavior.
- Themes — Provide the presentation layer and visual identity.
- Languages — Add localization and translated language resources.
Browse the official packages registry for the currently approved CiSkeleton ecosystem.
Projects
The projects repository contains official CiSkeleton applications, examples, demonstrations, and other projects built around the framework.
CiSkeleton components are maintained as independent repositories so they can evolve separately from the framework core.
Repository naming follows a simple convention:
ciskeleton/module-[name]
ciskeleton/plugin-[name]
ciskeleton/theme-[name]
ciskeleton/lang-[name]
This keeps each component independently versioned, released, documented, and maintained.
Official packages are distributed through GitHub Releases and can be discovered and managed through the CiSkeleton ecosystem.
CiSkeleton uses a release-based architecture.
Each component has its own repository and release history. Stable releases are published as versioned GitHub Releases, while the CiSkeleton package registry keeps track of approved components and their current versions.
This allows CSK applications to:
- Discover available components.
- Check installed versions against current releases.
- Determine which components require updates.
- Download the appropriate release directly from GitHub.
- Install or update components without relying on a centralized download server.
GitHub provides the source repositories and release distribution; CiSkeleton provides the framework and integration layer.
CiSkeleton is designed around a few simple principles.
- Clarity — Code should be readable and understandable.
- Modularity — Features should be independent and replaceable.
- Consistency — Predictable structure makes applications easier to maintain.
- Performance — Avoid unnecessary complexity and overhead.
- Control — Developers should understand and control their application stack.
CSK does not aim to be everything for everyone. It aims to provide a solid foundation that developers can extend according to the needs of their applications.
CiSkeleton is being developed as an open-source project.
The framework core and its ecosystem are progressively being moved into the public CiSkeleton GitHub organization, where repositories, releases, documentation, and development can be followed openly.
Individual components may have their own licensing terms, dependencies, or distribution conditions. Always check the license of the repository you are using.
CiSkeleton was created by Kader Bouyakoub and is developed and maintained under the Ianhub brand.
The project grew from years of building PHP applications, frameworks, themes, modules, and development tools for real-world projects.
Ianhub continues to guide the architecture and development of CiSkeleton while the framework evolves as an open-source project.
CiSkeleton is open source. Ianhub is its creator and maintainer.
To learn more about Ianhub, its other software projects, and the work behind CiSkeleton, visit:
CiSkeleton is an evolving ecosystem.
Current and planned development includes:
- Continued improvement of the framework core.
- More official modules, plugins, themes, and languages.
- Better package discovery and update management.
- Documentation and developer resources.
- Official applications and reference projects.
- Improved tooling for development and deployment.
- Continued modernization while preserving CSK's lightweight architecture.
Contributions, suggestions, bug reports, and improvements are welcome.
Before contributing, please check the relevant repository's documentation and contribution guidelines.
Start with the CiSkeleton organization to explore the available repositories.
Follow the CiSkeleton organization for updates, releases, and new projects.
For information about the creator and the wider Ianhub ecosystem, visit Ianhub on GitHub.