FoodCoopShop

FoodCoopShop is an open‑source, web‑based platform for managing Community‑Supported Agriculture (CSA) cooperatives and local food shops. From a developer standpoint, the application is essentially a full‑stack e‑commerce system that focuses on flexible delivery schedules, producer‑centric administration, and a cashless banking integration. The core business logic is written in PHP 8.4+ using the CakePHP 5 framework, which provides a convention‑over‑configuration MVC structure and built‑in ORM for MySQL 8.0. The codebase follows a modular architecture: core functionalities are split into plugins (e.g., DecentralizedNetwork, CashlessPayments) that can be enabled or disabled via configuration files, allowing teams to ship a lean instance tailored to their use case.

Architecture & Technical Stack

• Language & Framework: PHP 8.4 with CakePHP 5 (MVC, ORM, validation, event system).
• Database: MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB; schema migrations are managed through CakePHP’s migration tool, enabling versioned database changes.
• Web Server: Apache 2.x with mod_rewrite; the application relies on URL rewriting for clean routes.
• Image & Localization: PHP extensions Imagick, GD, and intl are required; the latter powers multi‑language support (German & English).
• Containerization: A Docker development environment is provided, exposing separate containers for the web server, MySQL, and a cron daemon. This makes CI/CD pipelines straightforward: tests run against a lightweight container stack, while production deployments can be orchestrated with Docker Compose or Kubernetes if desired.

Core Capabilities & APIs

FoodCoopShop exposes several REST‑like endpoints for integration, primarily through its plugin system:

• Decentralized Network Plugin: Synchronizes product catalogs and orders across multiple installations via a custom protocol. Developers can hook into the Sync event to extend data formats or add new sync targets.
• Cashless Payments API: Provides endpoints for balance checks, transaction logs, and automated bank‑transfer reconciliation. The plugin also supports webhook callbacks to notify external services when a payment is confirmed.
• Order Lifecycle API: Supports order creation, cancellation, weight/price adjustments, and batch updates for collective orders. These actions are exposed as CakePHP controller actions that can be called from third‑party services or custom front‑ends.
• Barcode Scanning: In self‑service mode, the application can read UPC/EAN codes via a JavaScript scanner library; the scanned data is sent to a dedicated API endpoint that resolves product IDs and updates stock levels.

Deployment & Infrastructure

The application is designed for self‑hosting on any Linux server with shell access. Key requirements include:

• Apache with mod_rewrite and PHP 8.4+
• MySQL 8.0 or higher
• Cron jobs for scheduled tasks (e.g., nightly order consolidation, backup creation)
• Optional Docker Compose setup for rapid prototyping or CI environments

Because the codebase follows CakePHP conventions, deployment is straightforward: copy the repository, run composer install, set proper permissions on /tmp and /webroot/files/, and point Apache to the webroot. The Docker stack abstracts away these details, enabling developers to spin up a complete environment in minutes and run automated tests against it.

Integration & Extensibility

FoodCoopShop’s plugin architecture is a primary extensibility point. Developers can:

• Create new plugins that hook into existing events (beforeSave, afterDelete) to modify business logic.
• Override templates or add new views without touching core files, thanks to CakePHP’s view inheritance.
• Expose additional REST endpoints by adding controller actions in a plugin and registering routes in config/routes.php.
• Subscribe to webhooks for external services (e.g., payment gateways, ERP systems).

The application also ships with a comprehensive set of unit and integration tests (≈70% coverage), making it safe to fork and extend. Documentation is hosted on the project’s GitHub Pages site, with sections dedicated to API usage, plugin development, and deployment strategies.

Developer Experience & Community

• Documentation: The official docs cover installation, configuration, plugin development, and API usage. Inline code comments follow CakePHP conventions, aiding readability.
• Community: Active GitHub discussions and a Signal support group provide quick help. The project follows semantic versioning, with yearly releases that include bug fixes and new features, ensuring long‑term stability.
• Licensing: The MIT license allows commercial use and modification without copyleft restrictions, making it attractive for businesses that want to keep proprietary extensions private.

Use Cases

1. CSA Cooperatives: A cooperative can deploy FoodCoopShop to manage weekly deliveries, collect member orders, and reconcile payments via bank transfers.
2. Local Food Shops: Small retailers can use the self‑service mode with barcode scanning to handle in‑store stock, while syncing product catalogs across multiple shop locations.
3. Multi‑Producer Platforms: Organizations that aggregate products from several farmers can leverage the decentralized network plugin to keep inventory and pricing consistent across independent installations.
4. Custom ERP Integration: Developers can build a plugin that pushes order data to an external ERP system, automating inventory updates and accounting entries.

Advantages for Developers

• Performance & Flexibility: CakePHP’s lazy loading and efficient query builder keep response times