Simple. Fast. Human.

🌐

Four Languages, One API

Python, Node.js, PHP, and Ruby share the same project structure, CLI, template syntax, route patterns, and .env variables. Learn one, know all four.

🧭

One CLI to Rule the Stack

The Rust-based `tina4` CLI detects the language, compiles SCSS, watches files, and delegates to the framework. `tina4 init`, `tina4 serve`, `tina4 migrate` — same commands across Python, PHP, Ruby, and Node.js.

📦

Zero Runtime Dependencies

Every Tina4 backend runs on the standard library. No native addons, no node-gyp, no vendor tree. Your requirements.txt / composer.json / Gemfile / package.json each hold one entry.

🛣️

Convention-Based Routing

Drop a file in `src/routes/`. The framework registers it. Typed path params (`{id:int}`, `{slug:slug}`, `{id:uuid}`) reject bad input with 404 before your handler runs.

🔌

Built-in WebSocket + SSE

Real-time bidirectional comms and server-sent events across all backends. Redis backplane for horizontal scaling. The same `WebSocketServer` API in every language.

🎨

Frond (Twig) Templating

One Twig-compatible engine. Variables, loops, template inheritance with `{{ parent() }}`, macros, filters. Write your layout once, render it in any language.

🗃️

Six Databases, One ORM

SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL, Firebird, MongoDB. `Database::create("sqlite:///app.db")` works anywhere. `sqlite:///path` is relative to your project root — same convention across all four frameworks.

🔐

Secure by Default

GET routes are public, POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE require a bearer token. JWT (HS256/RS256), PBKDF2 password hashing, rate limiting, CSRF form tokens — all built in, nothing to configure.

📋

Swagger at /swagger

Add an `@description` decorator to your route. Visit `/swagger`. Your API docs appear — typed, grouped, ready for your team.

🪢

GraphQL Included

Zero-dependency GraphQL engine. Point it at your ORM models, get a full schema with queries, mutations, and a GraphiQL IDE. `POST /graphql` in one line.

📬

Queues + Background Work

File-backed by default, RabbitMQ/Kafka/MongoDB when you scale. Producer/consumer/dead-letter semantics consistent across languages. Periodic tasks via `background(fn, interval)` — no threads.

🛠️

Dev Dashboard on /__dev

Routes, requests, SQL runner, queue monitor, mailbox, WebSocket inspector, error tracker, AI chat — shared SPA across all four frameworks. `TINA4_DEBUG=true` turns it on.

What's new

v3.12.3 (2026-05-05) — full notes

Cross-framework parity sweep. ResponseCache public surface is now middleware-only across all four frameworks — lookup / store / get methods moved private. Ruby's Container predicate gained the ? suffix (has?) to match Python's has() semantically. Every framework's CLAUDE.md and book chapter 33 env-var table grounded in source — Ruby gained 98 lines of newly-documented variables, Node 113. Side fixes: Ruby ai.rb UTF-8 encoding crash and Node serverParity.test.ts runner pattern.

v3.12.2 — Firebird URL auto-detect. Five equivalent forms (//abs/path, /abs/path, /C:/Drive, URL-encoded colon, alias) all resolve transparently — pick whichever reads best. New TINA4_DATABASE_FIREBIRD_PATH env override for Windows backslash paths and split-config setups. PHP also picks up a mysqli localhost+port quirk fix where Docker container connections were silently falling through to the Unix socket lookup.

v3.12.0 — Breaking change. Every framework env var now requires the TINA4_ prefix. The boot guard refuses to start when it spots legacy un-prefixed names (DATABASE_URL, SECRET, SMTP_HOST, HOST_NAME, etc.) and prints the rename map. Run tina4 env --migrate to rewrite your .env in place. Bundled with bug fixes #38 (Postgres UUID-PK transaction abort) and #39 (template auto-routing tightening).

How Tina4 reads

Pick a language. Each book stands on its own — you can read Python cover-to-cover, then pick up the PHP book later and recognise every pattern.

Understanding Tina4 — Architecture, philosophy, the four-language promise. Read this first if you want the why.

Python — The reference implementation. Every feature lands here first.

Node.js — TypeScript-first, native node:http, file-based routing, ESM-only.

PHP — PHP 8.5, stream_select server, zero composer deps in core.

Ruby — Rack 3, Puma in production, WEBrick in dev.

tina4-js — The 1.5 KB reactive frontend. Signals, Web Components, router, API client, WebSocket, PWA, SSE.

Delphi — FireMonkey cross-platform, FireDAC, REST client, and Twig templates.

Every book has a printable PDF with a clickable table of contents. Every chapter stays in sync with the code — release notes, version numbers, and example output are regenerated with every point release.

Tina4Documentation