Zend Framework bootstrap without Zend_Application

index.php

<?php

// A first run at a Zend Framework pre-1.8 bootstrap file that does not use Zend_Application
// Not tested, just thinking out loud...

// Do your PHP settings like timezone, error reporting
// ..

// Define path to application directory
defined('APPLICATION_PATH')
    || define('APPLICATION_PATH', realpath(dirname(__FILE__) . '/_zf/application'));

// Define application environment
defined('APPLICATION_ENV')
    || define('APPLICATION_ENV', (getenv('APPLICATION_ENV') ? getenv('APPLICATION_ENV') : 'production'));

// Ensure library/ is on include_path
set_include_path(implode(PATH_SEPARATOR, array(
    realpath(APPLICATION_PATH . '/../library'),
    get_include_path(),
)));

// Get autoloading in place
require_once 'Zend/Loader/Autoloader.php';
$autoloader = Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
// Any additional configs to autoloader, like custom autoloaders

// Read config
$config = new Zend_Config_Ini(APPLICATION_PATH . '/configs/application.ini', APPLICATION_ENV);

// bootstrap resources manually:
// * create db adapter
// * create resource autoloaders with the mappings you need
// * etc

// Get the singleton front controller
$front = Zend_Controller_Front::getInstance();

// Set controller directory
$front->setControllerDirectory(APPLICATION_PATH . '/controllers');

// Or set module directory
$front->setModuleDirectory(APPLICATION_PATH . '/modules');

// Other front config, like throw exceptions, etc.
// ...
// 
// Create a router
$router = new Zend_Controller_Router_Rewrite();

// Add routes to the router
$router->addRoute('myRoute', new Zend_Controller_Router_Route(array(
    // your routing params
)));
// More routes...
// Alternatively, the routes can all be in an xml or ini file and you can add 
// them all at once.

// Tell front to use our configured router
$front->setRouter($router);

// Add an plugins to your $front
$front->registerPlugin(new My_Plugin());
// other plugins...

// Dispatch the request
$front->dispatch();

// Notes:
// 
// There might be some View/ViewRenderer stuff to do, as well. But as noted in 
// other places, the ViewRenderer incurs a non-trivial performance hit. If
// performance is the issue, then you'll want to disable the ViewRenderer and
// make your action controllers call their own rendering using 
// $this->view->render('my/view-script.phtml')

// When you call $front->dispatch(), the $request and $response objects will be 
// created automatically. If you want to do something specific to them 
// at bootstrap - like setting the charset in Content-Type header of the 
// response - then you can create your request/response object yourself, do 
// what you want to it, and then attach it to the 
// front with $front->setResponse($response);
// Same for the request object.