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---
layout: default
title: About PHPCR
overview: true
---
<div class="content">
    <h2>What is it?</h2>
    <p class="description">
    The PHP Content Repository is an adaption of the Java Content Repository (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_repository_API_for_Java" class="external-link" rel="nofollow">JCR</a>) standard, an open API specification defined in <a href="http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=283" title="JSR: Java Specification Request" class="external-link" rel="nofollow">JSR-283</a>. <br/>
    The API defines how to handle hierarchical semi-structured data in a consistent way.
    </p>
    <p>
    The typical use case is content management systems.
    PHPCR combines the best out of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document-oriented_database">document-oriented databases</a> (weak structured data) and of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML_database">XML databases</a> (hierarchical trees). On top of that, it adds useful features like searching, versioning, access control and locking on top of it.
    </p>

    <h2>When to use PHPCR</h2>
    <ul>
        <li>For hierarchical navigation structures</li>
        <li>For compound data that belongs together. i.e. a web page with attached files or translations</li>
        <li>You need to version content</li>
        <li>You want full text search</li>
    </ul>

    <h2>When not to use PHPCR</h2>
    <p style="margin:0px">
    PHPCR is targeted at semi structured content. For strictly structured content and when using aggregation queries, we recommend using relational databases.<br/>
    For example: A web shop where products are stored in PHPCR, orders are stored in a relational database.
    </p>
</div>