NativePHP Mobile Architecture

NativePHP Mobile enables Laravel developers to build native iOS and Android applications. This skill explains the core architecture.

The God Method: nativephp_call

The foundation of NativePHP's native communication is the "god method" - nativephp_call. This single function handles ALL PHP-to-native communication.

How It Works

// PHP side - calling native functionality
$result = nativephp_call('Dialog.Alert', [
    'title' => 'Hello',
    'message' => 'Welcome to NativePHP!'
]);

The call flows through:

1. PHP calls nativephp_call('Method.Name', $params)
2. JavaScript bridge receives the call in the WebView
3. Native code (Kotlin/Swift) executes the registered bridge function
4. Result flows back through the same path

Bridge Function Registration

Native bridge functions must be registered before they can be called. Registration maps method names to implementation classes.

Android (Kotlin):

fun registerBridgeFunctions(activity: FragmentActivity, context: Context) {
    val registry = BridgeFunctionRegistry.shared

    // Core NativePHP functions
    registry.register("Dialog.Alert", DialogFunctions.Alert(activity))
    registry.register("QrCode.Scan", QrCodeFunctions.Scan(activity))
    registry.register("Network.Status", NetworkFunctions.Status(context))

    // Plugin functions get registered here too
    registry.register("MyPlugin.Execute", MyPluginFunctions.Execute(activity))
}

iOS (Swift):

func registerBridgeFunctions() {
    let registry = BridgeFunctionRegistry.shared

    registry.register("Dialog.Alert", DialogFunctions.Alert())
    registry.register("QrCode.Scan", QrCodeFunctions.Scan())
    registry.register("Network.Status", NetworkFunctions.Status())

    // Plugin functions
    registry.register("MyPlugin.Execute", MyPluginFunctions.Execute())
}

Method Naming Convention

Bridge function names follow Namespace.Action pattern:

• Dialog.Alert - Show an alert dialog
• Camera.Capture - Capture a photo
• Haptics.Vibrate - Trigger haptic feedback
• MyPlugin.DoSomething - Plugin-specific action

EDGE: Element Definition and Generation Engine

EDGE is NativePHP's system for rendering native UI elements from PHP/Blade templates. Instead of rendering HTML, EDGE creates native iOS/Android UI.

How EDGE Works

1. Blade components define native UI elements
2. JSON representation is passed via HTTP headers
3. Native renderers create actual native views

// In a Blade template
<x-native::bottom-nav>
    <x-native::bottom-nav-item
        icon="home"
        label="Home"
        route="home"
    />
    <x-native::bottom-nav-item
        icon="settings"
        label="Settings"
        route="settings"
    />
</x-native::bottom-nav>

This generates a JSON structure that native code interprets to render a real native bottom navigation bar.

EDGE vs WebView

Event Dispatching: Native to PHP

When native code needs to notify PHP (e.g., photo captured, scan completed), it dispatches events.

The Flow

1. Native code completes an operation
2. Native dispatches event via JavaScript injection
3. Livewire/Alpine receives the event
4. PHP component handles the event

Android Event Dispatching

import android.os.Handler
import android.os.Looper
import org.json.JSONObject

// MUST dispatch on main thread for JavaScript execution
Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()).post {
    val payload = JSONObject().apply {
        put("path", filePath)
        put("mimeType", "image/jpeg")
    }
    NativeActionCoordinator.dispatchEvent(
        activity,
        "Native\\Mobile\\Events\\Camera\\PhotoCaptured",
        payload.toString()
    )
}

iOS Event Dispatching

// Already on main thread typically
let payload: [String: Any] = [
    "path": filePath,
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg"
]
LaravelBridge.shared.send?(
    "Native\\Mobile\\Events\\Camera\\PhotoCaptured",
    payload
)

PHP Event Handling

// Event class - simple POJO, no broadcasting
class PhotoCaptured
{
    use Dispatchable, SerializesModels;

    public function __construct(
        public string $path,
        public string $mimeType = 'image/jpeg'
    ) {}
}

// Livewire component listening for the event
class PhotoUploader extends Component
{
    #[On('native:Native\Mobile\Events\Camera\PhotoCaptured')]
    public function handlePhotoCaptured($path, $mimeType = null)
    {
        // Process the captured photo
        $this->photoPath = $path;
    }
}

Critical Rules for Events

1. Events dispatch via JavaScript injection - NOT Laravel's event system
2. Event classes are simple POJOs - No ShouldBroadcast, no channels
3. Main thread required - JavaScript injection must run on UI thread
4. Livewire listens with #[On('native:...')] - The native: prefix is required

WebView Architecture

NativePHP apps run inside a WebView that loads PHP-rendered HTML:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Native App Shell          │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │     EDGE Native Elements      │  │
│  │  (Bottom Nav, Status Bar)     │  │
│  ├───────────────────────────────┤  │
│  │                               │  │
│  │         WebView               │  │
│  │   (PHP/Laravel Content)       │  │
│  │                               │  │
│  │   ┌─────────────────────┐    │  │
│  │   │   JavaScript Bridge  │    │  │
│  │   │   (nativephp_call)   │    │  │
│  │   └─────────────────────┘    │  │
│  │                               │  │
│  └───────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                     │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │   Bridge Function Registry    │  │
│  │   (Native Kotlin/Swift)       │  │
│  └───────────────────────────────┘  │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

PHP Binaries

During NativePHP installation, PHP binaries are downloaded that contain:

• Compiled PHP runtime for iOS/Android
• All function definitions including nativephp_call
• Native bridge interface code

These binaries are platform-specific and handle the low-level communication between PHP and native code.

Key Concepts Summary

Common Patterns

Synchronous Call (returns immediately)

$status = nativephp_call('Network.Status', []);
// Returns: ['connected' => true, 'type' => 'wifi']

Asynchronous Operation (returns ID, dispatches event when done)

$result = nativephp_call('Camera.Capture', ['quality' => 80]);
// Returns: ['id' => 'uuid-here']
// Later: native:Native\Mobile\Events\Camera\PhotoCaptured event fires

Fire-and-Forget

nativephp_call('Haptics.Vibrate', ['pattern' => 'success']);
// Returns: ['success' => true]
// No follow-up event