$ show EvilFreelancer/routeros-api-php
This is a PHP library for interacting with MikroTik RouterOS devices via their proprietary API protocol. It provides a clean, object-oriented client that manages TCP socket connections (optionally over SSL), handles authentication with both legacy (pre-6.43) and modern login schemes, and supports executing arbitrary RouterOS commands. The library also includes an SSH-based export feature using the spatie/ssh package. The codebase is well-structured with clear separation of concerns: a Config class for connection parameters, a Query class for building API commands, a Client class for sending queries and reading responses, and low-level stream abstractions (ResourceStream, StringStream) for I/O. The APILengthCoDec class is a notable component that correctly implements the binary length encoding used in the RouterOS wire protocol. The repository includes a Laravel service provider and facade for easy integration. While the library is functionally complete and has been used in production (503 stars, 180 forks), the original author has explicitly stated it is unmaintained, and the project shows signs of technical drift (e.g., outdated spatie/ssh dependency, PHP 8.4 compatibility workarounds). The code remains a solid example of a specialized API client with good engineering practices.
The LLM identified 2 files worth highlighting for reuse:
Implements the length encoding/decoding scheme used by the MikroTik RouterOS API wire protocol. This is a self-contained, non-trivial binary codec that handles variable-length encoding from 1 to 5 bytes. It is isolated, well-tested, and could be reused in any project that needs to implement the RouterOS API protocol at the socket level.
Converts integer values to network byte order (big-endian) binary strings. This is a reusable utility for constructing binary protocol messages, handling all byte sizes correctly across 32-bit and 64-bit PHP systems. It is used internally by APILengthCoDec but can be extracted for any project requiring manual binary serialization.