Howdy,

I am begging to like the concept of using a PHP framework to help speed up development, and to standardize code in our shop.

I have spent the last few days reading the online documentation for CakePHP, symfony, and CodeIgnitor (in that order).

I liked cakePHP, really liked symfony, but now am LOVING codeIgnitor.

I was wondering if anybody could share their experiences with any of them...

Thanks.

    5 days later

    I like CodeIgniter. Never actually used it, but read the code one night and loved the elegance and simplicity of things.

      Yeah, that is my favorite of the three, too. It is light-weight, easy to use, and elegant.

      I also like the fact that the "view" files are with a .php extension for syntax highlighting (as opposed to a weird template extension).

      Thanks.

        Rodney H. wrote:

        Yeah, that is my favorite of the three, too. It is light-weight, easy to use, and elegant.

        I also like the fact that the "view" files are with a .php extension for syntax highlighting (as opposed to a weird template extension).

        Thanks.

        Hello Rodney.
        I have tried CodeIgniter 1.5.4 a bit.
        I have also posted some in CodeIgniter forums. (http://www.codeigniter.com/forums/ )
        It is probably the best Framework/MVC around.
        Especially the documentation is super. With easy examples how to use each Class Library.
        Must have taken months and months to write such a tutorial/documentation!!!

        What I have against it is:
        - The use of URL manipulation .... instead of using: path/index.php?controller=id&action=value
        it uses: path/controller/action/value
        There is a configuration setting, to use normal style URL,
        but CodeIgniter does not work properly using this setting. ( I am probably the only one tested this option ... 😃 )

        Why not change the URL?
        I like to know where I browse, which web folder I connect to.
        I think this is a fair and honest thing to visitors.
        This is also one reason why I do not like using frames.

        I have looked around for to find a nice clean implementation of MVC ( Model-View-Controller )concept.
        Without any framework overhead add-ons.
        But haven't found one yet.

        I have done some experiments with setup structures, that can be a clean way to MVC.
        The idea of MVC is used by many of us, by instinct/choice, without actually thinking of it.
        We separate request handling, templates and functions/classes/db.
        .... there is definitely nothing new or revolutionary about it

        Regards 🙂

          halojoy wrote:

          Why not change the URL?
          I like to know where I browse, which web folder I connect to.
          I think this is a fair and honest thing to visitors.

          From http://www.w3.org/TR/chips/#uri

          A common mistake, responsible for many HTTP implementations problems, is to think [a URI is] equivalent to a filename within a computer system. This is wrong. URIs have, conceptually, nothing to do with a file system. One should remember that at all times when dealing with the World Wide Web.

            I kinda knew you would post that .. again, Weedpacket .. I have read it before.

            But what is your own personal ideas of MVC and Frameworks?
            If you have any preferences?
            Which I think you have, for sure.

            And what do you know of CodeIgniter and how do you like it?

            🙂

              Hi, Halojoy. Thanks for your thoughts, and it is nice to 'see' you again after so long...

              Hi, Weedpacket. Thanks for the interesting link and info on URI's. I am always interested in becoming better educated on all things 'web'.

              Peace.

                Hey Rodney!
                I notice that Zend Framework was suspiciously absent from your "short list" - not that I'm a big fan of the monster, but I was just curious if you ruled it out for some reason right out of the gate.

                  Hi, Elizabeth.

                  The omission was due to my lack of knowledge, LOL. I just learned about Zend's framework after I posted this. (I think Chris Schiflet consulted with them on their framework, but am not 100% sure.)

                  At work, I am taking over a project that was begun using CakePHP, and it is "too late" to switch now... And the other developers and I are in agreement that we like the ease and simplicity of CodeIgniter for when a framework is needed.

                  I was reading about how an app. architect on SitePoint PHP forums wrote his own framework using front controller / mvc design pattern that sounded interesting, but I am not sure I want to develop my own framework like he did... sounds like a LOT of work. I do like the idea of getting familiar enough with one and being able to do whatever I need to do with it.

                  Right now, learning both Cake and CodeIgniter is a little challenging/overwhelming....

                    Well since you're stuck with CakePHP you may as well stick with it imho ... there are worse things you could be stuck with; CakePHP is active, has a large support community and is well documented among other things, even if it is a bit of overkill in many cases. I've only played with it a bit, but like any framework, it takes some getting used to I think.

                      Yes. I am actually enjoying doing something new, and learning it. Thanks.

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