title: Reading a Git repository, without Git
body: <p>I'm researching the idea of building a super-small (preferably PHP) web app, which will serve (among other things) as a minimal front-end to a git repository.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Any library/article for reading a git repository</strong> (".git" folder) <strong>without having to execute the "git" process?</strong> I'm looking for an API to manage a git repository. I'm only interested in basic functions, such as reading last commits (name of commiter, commit note, date), displaying and traversing branches...</p>
  
  <p>Thanks,
  ANaimi</p>