Which PHP framework is best ?

joe2

Hi,

I was googling for the PHP framework. I visited few sites for the framework. Please advice which PHP framework is best and advantages of using framework.

Thanks in advance.

thorpe

There is no such thing as a best framework. Its whatever suites you and your project at the time.

halojoy

joe2 wrote:
Hi,
I was googling for the PHP framework. I visited few sites for the framework. Please advice which PHP framework is best and advantages of using framework.

www.zend.com is working on development on their PHP Framework.
It might turn out to 'set some standard' for frameworking.

This one looks promising to me.
Cake project is like 1 year old now, what I can see.
I have downloaded the latest release some weeks ago.

Informative Article at SitePoint:
The CakePHP Framework: Your First Bite
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/application-development-cakephp

What is CakePHP?
CakePHP is a free open-source rapid development framework for PHP.
Its a structure of libraries, classes and run-time infrastructure
for programmers creating web applications originally inspired by the Ruby on Rails framework.

Our primary goal is to enable you to work in a structured and rapid manner - without loss of flexibility.

Here are the requirements for setting up a server to run CakePHP:
1. An HTTP server (like Apache) with the following enabled:
sessions, mod_rewrite (not absolutely necessary but preferred)
2. PHP 4.3.2 or greater.
Yes, CakePHP works great in either PHP 4 or 5.
3. A database engine
(right now support for MySQL, PostgreSQL and wrapper for ADOD😎.

CakePHP Wiki: http://wiki.cakephp.org/
CakePHP Homepage: http://cakephp.org/
CakePHP Manual: http://manual.cakephp.org/

/halojoy
.

pohopo

I would say the best framework is native POP (Plain Old PHP).

mjax

pohopo wrote:
I would say the best framework is native POP (Plain Old PHP).

Do you even know what a framework is? I do not see how PHP itself is a framework. Remember, a framework is not a templating engine.

In my personal experience I find CakePHP the best framework (so far), but all frameworks I've tried suffer from serious lack of documentation.

The only framework that has proper docs, is CodeIgniter, but it is somewhat limited for bigger projects.

Qcodo is a offbeat approach, much like Prado. Try to see if you like it.

The Zend Framework sounds like the best bet if you are in it for the long run, however, currently is not fit for production.

pohopo

mjax wrote:
Do you even know what a framework is? I do not see how PHP itself is a framework. Remember, a framework is not a templating engine.

Yes I know what a framework is and I would say PHP could be considered a Framework of C to make it easier to build web pages. A framework is anything that helps to organize and glue things together. I could see someone making a case that a template engine is a framework. In Java you can use 3 frameworks at the same time (JSF, Springs, and Hibernate) to build a site.

mjax

pohopo wrote:
I would say PHP could be considered a Framework of C to make it easier to build web pages

Yes, and C is a framework of assembly code. And assembly code is a framework of binary machine code. You just proved the point that using a PHP framework makes sense.

pohopo wrote:
I could see someone making a case that a template engine is a framework.

Obviously, in the current PHP context a framework is considered to be an implementation of the MVC design pattern, along with some extras.

pohopo wrote:
In Java you can use 3 frameworks at the same time (JSF, Springs, and Hibernate) to build a site.

So you do know that a framework takes care of the code you have to setup for almost every webapplication. It's gives you a jump start on new projects and presents a common way of doing things (MVC), which enables other developers to jump in more quickly. And those are just some of the benefits.

pohopo

First you go....

mjax wrote:
I do not see how PHP itself is a framework.

Now you say...

mjax wrote:
Yes, and C is a framework of assembly code. And assembly code is a framework of binary machine code. You just proved the point that using a PHP framework makes sense.

First off I am glad to see we agree that PHP can be considered a framework. The second part puzzles me because I never said frameworks do not make sense. Did we not just agree that PHP is a framework?

Do not get me wrong, I know the benefits of frameworks as I use them all the time. I sometimes even use my own framework that I create specifically for an application from objects I already had built. This takes away the bloat and is still easy to learn because there are significantly less methods and they are all specific to the application at hand.

mjax wrote:
Obviously, in the current PHP context a framework is considered to be an implementation of the MVC design pattern, along with some extras.

Not true, as you have frameworks that do not follow the MVC pattern. You seem to be thinking about specific frameworks in your head while I am talking about frameworks in general.

mjax

pohopo wrote:
First you go....

Now you say...
First off I am glad to see we agree that PHP can be considered a framework. The second part puzzles me because I never said frameworks do not make sense. Did we not just agree that PHP is a framework?

Do not get me wrong, I know the benefits of frameworks as I use them all the time. I sometimes even use my own framework that I create specifically for an application from objects I already had built. This takes away the bloat and is still easy to learn because there are significantly less methods and they are all specific to the application at hand.

Not true, as you have frameworks that do not follow the MVC pattern. You seem to be thinking about specific frameworks in your head while I am talking about frameworks in general.

Come on, you know what I mean. This topic is about PHP frameworks, as in the application of design patterns, such as MVC and ActiveRecord. This is not about PHP being a C framework or all other things that could be considered a framework. Let's keep it on topic.

thorpe

Yes, and C is a framework of assembly code

Um.. The C compiler (GCC) is actually written in C. C can and does stand alone.

mjax

thorpe wrote:
Um.. The C compiler (GCC) is actually written in C. C can and does stand alone.

And PHP frameworks are written in PHP. What's your point? I never said anything about the GCC compiler.

Please, this is all so offtopic. In this topic only halojoy and myself have replied constructively to the topicstarter's request.

BTW, if a moderator could close this discussion, it would be great.

pohopo

mjax wrote:
Please, this is all so offtopic. In this topic only halojoy and myself have replied constructively to the topicstarter's request.

I take offense to that as I was genuinely answering the question as I believe the person should try not using a framework for PHP (especially if they do not know php very well). You then proceeded to attack my opinion and question my understanding of frameworks.

I am just a victim! 😃

mjax

Ok, we got off on the wrong foot here. After all, we are all here to share our PHP knowledge and learn from others.

If I offended you in any way, I apologise, because that was never my intention.

I do however mind topics where discussions go way beyond the scope of the topicstarter's request and end in some "word war" about definitions and other subtleties. This is the reason I moved to this forum a month ago, coming from another forum where 99% of the discussions end this way.

After re-reading this topic, I must conclude I'm at least 50% to blame for this offtopic rattling, so this will be my final contribution.

thorpe

BTW, if a moderator could close this discussion, it would be great.

Why? Are you a little lost?

And PHP frameworks are written in PHP. What's your point?

You stated that php is a framework to C as C is a framework to assembler. Meaning that the language php is written in C as an abstraction layer. However (and as Ive stated) C differs with regard to assembly. According to your theory the C language is written in assembler where in fact C is written in C.

C itself is a stand alone environment.

joe2

Thanks for sharing your knowledge... and an happy ending.

We all here to discuss the php related topics and help other.

pohopo

mjax wrote:
If I offended you in any way, I apologise, because that was never my intention.

No worries, I do not really feel like a victim. In the end we are here to help and give our opinions.