From small static websites to large scale complex enterprise content management systems, the PHP frameworks are used to build websites and web applications of all sizes and complexity.
In this article, we’ll look at five of the most popular PHP frameworks: Zend, Phalcon, Symfony, Laravel, and Codeigniter.
Laravel
Last year, Sitepoint responders have recognized Lavarel as the best framework for PHP development. In 2016 Laravel is still the most popular framework and is highly regarded by industry experts and developers.
Laravel is a free, open source, and a powerful web application framework for PHP. This framework is focused on elegance, simplicity and readability.
The documentation of this framework is close to a perfection. Laravel has many functions that provide the most fast development process possible.
Basic features:
- Built-in unit testing and simply readable impressive syntax
- Inherent Database Version control
- Larger Community catering to thousands of programming and application developers
- RESTful routing, native PHP or light weight tempting engine and many more features.
Phalcon
Phalcon is built for speed and is one of the most popular framework in history. This framework has a PHP extension written in C and C++ to reach the highest level of performance optimization possible. You don’t have to learn C language, because the functionality is exposed as PHP classes that are ready to use for any application.
Basic features:
- Learning curve is so easy
- Brings in all features to develop web applications of any size and complexity
- Is very well document with examples and beginners can easily get started
- Neat and clean intuitive API with solid code written on powerful design patterns
Symfony
This PHP framework is perfect for creating websites and web applications and is the most suited framework for intermediates. This powerful framework is providing an impressive collection of decoupled and reusable components.
Symfony is used by notable applications such as Drupal, phpBB, and eZ Publish.
Basic features:
- Stable enough for long term projects
- Database engine-independent
- Stable, sustainable, flexible and quickly adaptable to all your needs
- Open Source PHP framework for developing web apps
Zend
Zend framework is a well known PHP framework among PHP developers. This framework uses 100% object-oriented code and utilizes most of the new features of PHP 5.3, namely namespaces, late static binding, lambda functions and closures.
Usually, Zend cannot be recommended to be used for small applications.
Basic features:
- Easy-to-use drag and drop editor with support for front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
- Cryptographic coding tools
- Instant online debugging and PHP Unit testing tools
- A connected Database Wizard
Codeigniter
This framework it can be easily installed and requires minimal user configuration. Codeigniter is a good solution if there is any possible conflict of different PHP-versions. You can use this framework on all platforms.
Basic features:
- Provides simple and elegant platform to create full-featured web applications
- Speed – this framework copes much faster with databases tasks in comparison to other frameworks
- Perfect for beginners – easily expandable, secure, uses plain and simple approach
- Gives great freedom to developers.