Technology

To make web project development easy and fun for developers and content editors, in 2008, we came up with our own open-source CMS: Alambik. Charcoal is the evolution of this framework, which provides data and blank templates that can be used with any system or methodology.

Coded in modern PHP (a mature and pervasive language that’s been actively developed and improved in recent years), Charcoal always stays on top of its latest and best practices. We strongly believe in Open Source, Open API and Open Data; Charcoal is Free/Libre Software under the MIT licence.

Rather than trying to do too much and becoming heavy on the data side or too opinionated on the front-end side, Charcoal tries not to ever reinvent the wheel. Charcoal is focused on front-end-oriented development by simply NOT getting in the way of the UI side of things.

Built on top of proven technologies but not bound to any major frameworks, we got to choose tried-and-true, open-source technologies for every service needed on a case-by-case basis: for examples Slim for application features, Mustache for templating, Symfony, Laravel and Laminas as needed for all the features, tools, and services that make Charcoal such a user-friendly, flexible, and comprehensive choice.