Create a backoffice from db structure (like Rails)

SeenGee

ez all.

It seems i cant go anywhere at the moment without a fellow developer telling me how great Rails is, how much time they have saved in application development etc... but ... the simple reality is that within my company and a lot of others it is simply not a business possibility to drop our common skillset (php/mysql) to learn Rails (or whatever the current flavour of the month is). Anyway, this all got me thinking, one of the great things i saw when looking into Rails was the way that you could create a backoffice pretty much by just creating your database structure. I always create my database first and then create my bespoke CMS to populate said database. Surely though what happens in rails could also work in php. A script / class could be created that would analyse a database structure and perhaps working alongside some kind of template system create a php driven backoffice (at least the majority of it) designed to manage your database, this could go as far as php and javascript validation but without many of the usual headaches. I've never seen or heard about a system like this for php, if one exists then i'd like to hear about it. if not, then lets build one!

gee.

TF_TheMoon

There are a few PHP on rails clones coming along
http://phpontrax.com/
http://cakephp.org/
http://flinn.activeintra.net/biscuit/

I've lost the others

There is also http://framework.zend.com/

SeenGee

lol, i knew it wasnt exactly going to be a new idea, i just couldnt find anything similar myself, have you had any experience of using the packages you mention?

TF_TheMoon

Nope, my boss here is a ruby-lover and wants to start moving things to that, I looked at it, but my skill set is PHP, MySQL, JAvascript and MSSQL, so I was thinking of looking into a PHP version of some of the bits ruby did. He then pointed out the zend one to me last week and I just happend to come across the others.

SeenGee

well, looking into those links you gave me there was a less than glowing endorsement of the zend framework by the guy behind the biscuit framework:

I just checked out the new Zend Framework, and it looks to suck ass, so much so I won't give it a link

.. maybe theres an element of self-preservation in his observations ..

anyways, the cake framework looks real good though and seems to have much of the goodness of Rails. i might just give it a go on my next project.

thanks man.