The structure beneath.
When you build a home, the frame goes up first. It provides the basic skeletal structure for the house. After that frame is in place, the rest of the house — the part you live in — can be added. A PHP framework is much the same. It provides the structure that developers can build on.
A PHP framework provides a basic library of code that developers can build on and customize as needed. This allows developers to build applications more efficiently. There are many available frameworks, so the best practice is to choose the framework that fits the project being developed. In addition to being an incredibly valuable tool in the development process, most PHP frameworks are also open-source, which means they are freely available at no cost.
As you might suspect, our developers have experience in a variety of PHP frameworks. Here are a few of our favorites are:
- CodeIgniter
- Zend PHP
- CakePHP
- Symfony
- Custom Developed Frameworks (frameworks that we make ourselves)
CodeIgniter
CodeIgniter is an open-source PHP framework that builds off of PHP 5. Like other PHP frameworks, this object-oriented programming framework is used to build web applications and browser-based software.
At a glance, a few key benefits to using CodeIgniter are:
MVC Based: CodeIgniter is based on a Model View Controller (MVC) architecture (although the Model portion is optional). An MVC framework is a system by which users manipulate an application thorough a controller.
Expansive Libraries: CodeIgniter contains an expansive set of libraries that can be leveraged for more efficient development.
Well-Documented: The CodeIgniter framework is well documented, making it quicker and easier to utilize.
Open-Source: CodeIgniter is licensed under the Open Software License (OSL).
We really like CodeIgniter, and we’ve used it to create some pretty cool software and web apps. A few examples include:
- Online boat reservation software
- Online real estate applications
- Online web payment portals
- Online inventory management tools
- Online sports league management software
- Custom eCommerce platforms
- Custom sales tracking software
The flexibility and scalability of CodeIgntier applications make it one of our favorite go-to frameworks, and it only continues to grow in popularity.
Zend
Zend is an open-source object oriented programming framework that builds off of PHP 5. It is often referred to as a “component library” because of a variety of components that you can use independently to some extent. Each of these components are designed with generally few dependencies on the others, giving developers a flexible architecture to work with as they use the components they need.
At a glance, Zend is:
Modular: The Zend framework is modular, allowing developers to pick and choose the tools they want to work with rather than having to pair back a larger installation to get to what they need.
MVC Based: Zend is an MVC framework (Model View Controller). An MVC framework is a system by which users manipulate an application thorough a controller.
Open Source: The framework has a flexible caching system and is Open Source – meaning that there are no cost or fees associated with utilizing it.
Extensible: Zend’s capabilities can be expanded to meet future requirements.
Cross Platform: Zend is also cross platform – meaning that it is accessible on any currently available consumer computer platform.
Secure: Zend has a number of tools available to assist developers in making the code they generate more secure (often through cryptography). Additionally, since Zend is open source – it can be heavily modified to add layers of security on top of the pre-existing tools that are available.
The popular open-source eCommerce Magento Framework is built off of Zend.
CakePHP
CakePHP is an open-source web application framework built off of PHP that helps developers build web applications faster with less code. It uses commonly held software development concepts. CakePHP came out shortly before the CodeIgniter framework and the Zend framework. Some of the inspiration for Cake PHP came from the concepts and conventions of Ruby on Rails.
At a glance, CakePHP is:
Open Source: Cake PHP is licensed under the MIT license. This license was designed to accommodate licensing for free and/or open source software licenses. All copies of CakePHP must include a copy of the MIT license terms.
MVC Based: CakePHP is an MVC framework (Model View Controller). An MVC framework is a system by which users manipulate an application thorough a controller.
Cross Platform: Cake PHP is cross platform and utilizes associated data mapping and Model View Controllers (MVC’s).
No DB Configuration: When using the Cake PHP framework, a developer is not required to use XML to interact with a database. There is no database configuration required.
Every year there is an annual Cake Conference entitled “CakeFest.” CakeFest has been held all over the world in countries such as Argentina, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Visit the Cake Foundation for more information on CakePHP.