Frameworks and Setup

[jgetner]

so over the past few months i have been experimenting with making a new unique php framework that makes building php applications fun and simple.

my first 2 prototypes are completely different in every-way one is a small in bedded command language that helps you build applications fast complete php back-end.

the second is a functions framework with a library of function calls that will also help build with RAD and more.

so i need to know what are your likes and dislikes on php frameworks from there use to size and functionality etc...?

and does one of my framework idea's sounds appealing to work with?.

Soon to be going to SVN

[Shrike]

What would make me use your framework instead of one of the many others frameworks out there? You mention rapid application development, but if a framework did not offer that it would have fallen at the first hurdle.

[jgetner]

what i mean by RAD is the ability to build any application faster than normal witch many frameworks accomplish, But the goal and code of my framework allows the developer have complete control by offering quick smooth typed language that feels natural to write with lower level commands and operations that give you more control over how your code act's and operates more than just including some classes and giving you a few helpers i want php power still be accessible and controllable by simple constructive commands.

here is a quick example of part of the language constructs that will allow you to develop more powerful applications and websites with all the flexability you need.

<?php  // system is still php so php tags must be included this is for the php guys other versions will be different. 

 load->view. connection. validation. process //loading the library of commands to use and work with.
       {
          view->form('formname'); //loading view libarary some form
             validate->form('formname');// validating that form
               process->form('formname');//processing the form info

      }

connect->mysql('connect');//cnnecting to mysql

validate->mysql('connect'); //validating the connection not really needed but can be!

connect->query("query data such as INSERT INTO bla bla"); //queryin or out

validate->query("query not valid ending connection"); //validating the query

process->paginate <------------------------------------------------//curently where im at with the system syntex.

so far the system is still in alpha but coming along as fast as i can do it. alot of things im learning in doing this system the system setup is very different from other frameworks. just waiting to get alpha done so i can maybe get some other more experianced developers to help out on this someday great opensource project.

also syntax will be completely editable you can define you own syntax if you know php. And this framework wont lock you to MVC even though it can be used more up to you flexibility

[Shrike]

Are you talking about extending the syntax of PHP to allow constructs like:

load->view. connection

That is actually quite interesting. How would you propose going about it?

[jgetner]

i have already started going about it!. I have used a few thing such as regular expressions to match certian key words that will process the command that then executes a php command for the system such as connect to a database include a form process and validate that form.

This is a very tough project help is badly needing becuase sometimes i don't know if im smart enough for this but im sure i will work my way through it. have had to re-write twice and 1 more is looking like it is coming soon.

hard to validate code in a whole other process.

open to other idea's how to implement this and this might lead to the need of a parser and lexer but i hope not.

[bpat1434]

Sounds kind of heavy. If you want to levy the full weight of PHP, why are you writing another language that's based on PHP that you then can't leverage all the built-in functions for ease?

The main things that tick me off are things that one developer may find "better" or "a shortcut" but in fact is just stupid. Like using "am" instead of "array_merge". What's the point?

One of the nice things I like about say the Zend Framework is that I can keep its library completely separate from my code and upgrade it as I need, while not changing my entire code base.

[Weedpacket]

jgetner wrote:

might lead to the need of a parser and lexer

Well yes, it would: what you're doing is designing a new language based on PHP.

Even if it's more just a template language (on top of a template language!) - even if the additional syntax were merely sugar for making efficient-but-hairy standardised coding constructs legible and writable by humans. A preprocessor that desugars such a program so that it becomes ordinary PHP would have to know enough about PHP's own syntax that it doesn't mangle parts that it shouldn't.

And if the language changes are more extensive - automatic generation of new classes to implement types, say, or reparameterising function declarations and calls to take additional arguments for the framework's use - then there's more parsing involved, and also some code generation: it becomes simpler to parse the entire program, manipulate the AST, and serialise the resulting tree to code. Effectively it becomes a kind of compiler. And if you're writing a compiler you're no longer under an obligation for the source language to look like the target language.

I'm fairly sure that PCRE's regexps - given their support for backreferences, conditionals, and recursion - are sufficiently powerful to write a full parser ... but I doubt it would be very nice to look at or work on.