ZF1 Front Controller and Request Dispatch

ZF1’s front controller is the traffic cop: it resolves module/controller/action, runs plugins, and dispatches into action controllers. When a modernization plan says “only replace billing,” you need to know which routes still enter this pipeline.

Dispatch mental model

1. Request hits public/index.php
2. Zend_Application bootstraps resources
3. Front controller router matches
4. Plugins (preDispatch/postDispatch) run
5. Action controller method executes and view renders

// LEGACY — custom route in bootstrap
$router = $front->getRouter();
$router->addRoute('invoice', new Zend_Controller_Router_Route(
    'invoice/:id',
    ['controller' => 'invoice', 'action' => 'view']
));

// MODERN strangler — bypass ZF1 for selected paths at the web server
// nginx example idea: location /api/v2/ { try_files → new front controller }
// ZF1 remains default for /app/

Debugging tips

• Log module/controller/action on preDispatch during staging investigations.
• Watch for plugins that silently redirect unauthenticated users.
• Confirm CLI scripts do not accidentally bootstrap the full front controller.

See project structure and migration planning. Error triage: PHP Error Matcher.