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Easy to use / learn PHP framework?

I need to create a php application, and I was thinking about using a framework (never used before). I looked through some, but most of them seem complicated to me, I really liked what I saw about Symfony, but it looks like I will have to spend a month until I really understand how to use it, and in a month I can code the application, which I mean 5 times without a frame. But I want to use it to "standardize" my code and prevent errors.

So, I was wondering if anyone could share with me what php frameworks do you think are easier to learn how to use.

My application will use mysql, and it will have some kind of "search engine" to search for data that will be populated in the database with a few "scraper scripts" (which I also want to encode using the framework).

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There are many questions that answer this question here on StackOverflow, and I was recently in your position researching many different frameworks, as I also want to standardize my code.

I ended up choosing Codeigniter because I needed something with good documentation, and it was very easy (easier - easier to understand IMO), and something not too strict. In Codeigniter, if you really want to, you can just copy plain PHP, and that allows you to do this. I like this option because if I really get hung up on something, I just code it in raw PHP the way I know I can. I have been using Codeigniter for only a few weeks, but the learning curve is not too complicated, and this is my first structure that I used.

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Read some of the previous discussions and pay attention to ease of use:

  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2648/what-php-framework-would-you-choose-for-a-new-application-and-why
  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/249984/php-framework-decision-analysis-paralysis
  • Why do I need to use the popular framework?
  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/717836/kohana-or-codeigniter

If you need something easy to start, you can see the minimal framework:

  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/694929/whats-your-no-framework-php-framework
  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/141945/lightest-possible-php-mvc
  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3023818/any-procedural-non-oo-php-framework

But in fact a large dozen are recommended if you need good documentation. Symfony and CakePHP are complex, CodeIgniter and the newer Kohana fork are new. Although there are many more to choose from. Choose a good API and maybe take a look at what explains the difference between MVC and MVP . Also for a long list: http://matrix.include-once.org/framework/

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My first choice would be cakePHP . Easy to learn, great documentation , api and some good books:

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CakePHP is the best solution with a little learning curve.

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I was in your shoes only 2 years ago. I personally decided to use the Zend Framework . It’s important to understand that ZF is built by the same guys who support and improve PHP itself! It just gives him a lot more confidence.

When choosing a structure, you should consider the following:

  • Community size and quality. As one of the most widely used PHP frameworks, the Zend Framework (aka ZF) has the largest community of PHP frameworks; therefore, most of the problems you encounter have already been answered. There are frameworks that are supported by only a few developers, and if they stop working on it, you are stuck in the latest version of the framework. This is unlikely to happen with ZF.

  • Documentation and Beginner Friendly - The ZF docs are pretty good, full of examples, and beginner friendly. There are also many textbooks and [quick start guide] [2]. It is very easy to launch a new ZF application.

  • Investing - I'm sure you need to invest sometime, how it works, but all that is in the software world. You must understand [OOP] [3] and [MVC] [4] before you begin. Many people don’t realize that using a framework to develop procedural-like code (instead of OOP) is for the purpose ... using the MVC / OOP framework! Therefore, it is important to understand and master these concepts so that you can develop better code. And by the best code, I mean a) code that works b) code that is easy and quick to understand and maintain.

This investment is worth it, as it will increase dramatically a) development speed b) debugging and maintenance speed.

Also, take advantage of this moment in your programming career to adhere to other common best practices (if you have not already done so) using: a) Unit tests - it is incredibly easy to integrate into ZF. Explore [Test Driven Development] [5]. b) IDE - VIM, [Netbeans] [6], etc. c) [Design Patterns] [7] d) Source Control - [Mercurial] [8], Git, SVN, etc. e) Finally, stay in the loop [after what happens in the PHP world] [9].

You will be grateful to yourself in the near future! I know what I did.

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Since no one has voted for Symfony here, I will and why. There are two types of frameworks, well, the whole range, but in the area of ​​PHP / MVC, where we are in this thread, there are Glue and Full Stack frames.

Zend and CodeIgniter are glue, and Symfony and Cake are FullStack.

Glues are those where you can choose which components you can use and how much “standard” code you can use. They usually have a softer learning curve, since you can choose the bit you like and fill the more complex bits with the code that you know.

FullStack means you need to use the lot, and so the learning curve can be pretty steep. In addition, with FullStack, there may be a tendency to prevent something from being realized, rather than just accepting and flowing with it.

Based on the fact that I wrote everything against my background, I first preferred glue, but now I switched to FullStack using Symfony 1.4 and 2 and Sinatra and Padrino. The extra speed and power that full bets give is not what I would like to give.

One drawback of CI is that it is designed to be compatible with php4 and thus suffers in several structural ways, when you come to promote the framework, Kohana is a fork that solves this problem. And I don't like Zend, because there are so many ways to do the same thing, that after a while the Framework seems almost irrelevant (sorry personal interrogation)

At the end of the day, using the Framework is good because it adds structure and can be a big help for learning, and the one you need to choose is the one that is convenient and productive for you.

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There are many frameworks and some really cool frameworks. Having tried so many of them, I think you should not start using them before you find the most suitable for your needs. You can find any other one by choosing it, so as not to act quickly before choosing the right one. Before you create a wireframe application, you must complete the exercises. For me, I started with CodeIgniter, created one application and left the second in the middle, then moved to Cohan and started the second application according to my needs.

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CodeIgniter is the one I prefer

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The structure should have a little training and be easy to expand. I use http://sourceforge.net/projects/naanalframework/ for all my projects. No installation. You just need to specify the naanal.php framework in your index.php application and run it. The structure will help you in what to do. For starters, this framework is very useful for developing PHP applications. A sample application is also available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/naanalframework/files/sample%20applications/wordpress_plugin_builder.zip/download

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