Tutorial: Build a Ticket System

This tutorial builds a complete, working application from zero — a minimal support Ticket System. Unlike the concept pages, which explain how AUSUS is designed, this tutorial teaches you how to assemble a real application, one runnable step at a time.

By the end you will have:

• a domain plugin describing a ticket entity, its fields, actions and lifecycle;
• a SQLite database whose schema AUSUS derived for you;
• a working HTTP API;
• a React user interface that lists tickets and drives their workflow.

Everything here uses only implemented v0.1.x capabilities. Nothing is mocked or aspirational — every code block runs.

What you will build

A ticket moves through a fixed lifecycle:

OPEN  ──start──▶  IN_PROGRESS  ──resolve──▶  RESOLVED  ──close──▶  CLOSED

Each arrow is an action guarded by a workflow. An agent can only resolve a ticket that is IN_PROGRESS; calling resolve on an OPEN ticket is rejected by the runtime, before anything is written.

How AUSUS fits together

You will touch four layers. Keep this picture in mind — each tutorial part fills in one piece:

  Your plugin (domain as data)
        │  compiled into
        ▼
  MetadataGraph  ──▶  Runtime (Invoker: policy → workflow → effect → audit)
        │                     │
        │                     ▼
        │              SQLite persistence
        ▼
  HTTP API  ──▶  ViewSchema JSON  ──▶  React renderer

You never write a controller, a migration, a SQL query, or a form component. You describe the domain; AUSUS compiles and runs it.

Prerequisites

Tool	Version	Checked with
PHP	8.3+	php --version
PHP extensions	pdo, pdo_sqlite	php -m
Composer	2.0+	composer --version
Node.js	18+	node --version
npm	8+	npm --version

You should be comfortable with PHP and basic command-line use. No prior AUSUS knowledge is assumed. You do not need Laravel — AUSUS is Laravel-native but does not require the framework to run.

The learning path

Work through the seven parts in order. Each builds directly on the previous one.

1. Installation — create the project and install AUSUS.
2. The domain — bootstrap the Application; declare the entity, fields, actions and workflow.
3. Persistence — run the app on the command line; AUSUS derives and applies the SQLite schema.
4. HTTP API — expose the domain over HTTP and exercise it with curl.
5. React UI — render the tickets in the browser and drive the workflow.
6. Troubleshooting & recap — common mistakes, debugging tips, and a final architecture recap.

Total time: roughly 30–45 minutes.

:::tip Where to go after this Once the tutorial clicks, the Core Concepts section explains the model in depth, and The PHP DSL is the full builder reference. :::

Ready? Start with Part 1 — Installation.