Understanding Tina4 – Quick Reference

TIP

• Tina4 is a toolkit, not a framework — one package, zero config, convention over configuration
• Same API across Python, Node.js, PHP, and Ruby — learn one, know all four
• Routes in src/routes/, templates in src/templates/, ORM in src/orm/, static files in src/public/
• Zero runtime dependencies in every language

Philosophy • Installation • Project Structure • Choosing a Language • Environment

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Philosophy

Tina4 follows the "not a framework" philosophy. One package. One folder structure. Zero configuration files beyond a .env. You write your code, drop it in the right folder, and Tina4 discovers it.

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Installation

Choose your language:

Language	Install	Start
Python	pip install tina4_python	python -m tina4_python
Node.js	npm i tina4-nodejs	npx tina4
PHP	composer require tina4stack/tina4php	php -S localhost:7145 index.php
Ruby	gem install tina4-ruby	tina4

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Project Structure

Every Tina4 project follows the same layout regardless of language:

project/
  .env                  # Environment configuration
  src/
    routes/             # API endpoints and page routes
    templates/          # Frond/Twig templates
    orm/                # Database models
    services/           # Background services
    migrations/         # Database migrations
  src/public/           # Static assets (CSS, JS, images)

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Choosing a Language

All four languages share the same conventions:

• Python — Best for data science, ML integration, rapid prototyping
• Node.js — Best for real-time apps, highest raw throughput, JavaScript everywhere
• PHP — Best for shared hosting, WordPress ecosystem, legacy integration
• Ruby — Best for developer happiness, clean syntax, rapid development

See Chapter 3: Choosing Your Language for a detailed comparison.

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Environment Variables

All configuration lives in a single .env file:

# Database
DATABASE_URL=sqlite://app.db

# Server
PORT=7145
DEBUG=true

# Authentication
AUTH_SECRET=your-secret-key

See Chapter 4: Environment Variables for the full reference.