In web development, PHP web frameworks have their ecosystem. PHP frameworks enable the creation of all kinds of complex web applications and websites of all sizes. A large proportion of the world’s websites are built using PHP code, which is a testament to PHP’s popularity among web developers. However, creating websites from scratch with PHP code would be almost impossible without PHP frameworks, which have contributed to the tremendous growth of PHP. According to Netcraft’s 2014 Web Server Survey, the number of global websites exceeded one billion in 2014, and the number is growing every day.
Frameworks are essentially tools designed for experienced web developers who know exactly how to use them and have a clear understanding of the limitations of the frameworks they choose. In modern web application development, success is determined by development speed and reusable, well-organized, and maintainable code where scalability is important. Using an existing and proven PHP framework can help developers achieve this goal. Frameworks provide libraries and components that are ready to use and also ensure a proven architecture and file and code structure. There are several benefits of using PHP frameworks that increase the productivity of PHP frameworks and make web development fun.
Here are the best PHP frameworks for modern web development:
| Laravel
Laravel is one of the most well-known PHP frameworks and is widely used by a large number of web developers. The framework is designed to be easy to use, easy to learn, and support rapid application development. Released in 2011, it provides a robust development and hosting platform. The Laravel framework also has a large number of features such as a great ORM, a powerful queue library, easy authentication, painless routing, a lightweight templating engine or native PHP, and much more. The Laravel framework is based on many Symfony components and provides well-tested and reliable code for developing web applications. The Laravel framework also comes with a Vagrant box, known as “Homestead”, which allows developers to start developing without having to install a web server, PHP, HHVM, or other packages on a local server. There is also a PHP micro-framework called Lumen, which allows developers to create services based on the Laravel platform and lightning-fast APIs.
| Symfony
The Symfony 2 framework is useful for large and complex business projects. Version 2 of this framework is built on top of existing Symfony components such as eZ Publish, Drupal, and phpBB. Symfony takes PHP development to the next level with many reusable components and an active and vibrant community. The framework’s reusable PHP libraries can be used to perform various tasks such as routing, object configuration, authentication, form creation, modeling, and many more. There is an introduction section for applications and websites created using the Symfony framework, which is quite interesting as it gives an overview of the different projects created using the framework.
| Phalcon
Phalcon was released in 2012 and is one of the fastest PHP frameworks available today. To optimize performance, Phalcon is written in C and C++, which also means that it consumes fewer resources. In addition, there is no need to know C, as the functions are represented as PHP classes that can be easily used in any application. Phalcon’s architecture, delivered as a C extension, is optimized at low levels to reduce overheads typically found in MVC-based applications. This framework has lower resource consumption and higher performance. The Phalcon framework includes advanced features such as drivers, routing, query language, ORM, universal autoload, caching, compilation, asset management, security, and more.
| Co-signer
It’s been around for more than a decade, and developers prefer it because it’s fast, lightweight, and easy to learn compared to modern PHP frameworks. Codeigniter is a lightweight PHP framework with a simple installation process that requires minimal configuration and saves the user many development hassles. Since it works on most dedicated hosting platforms, PHP version conflicts can be easily avoided. According to builtwith.com, business websites are the biggest users of Codeigniter, followed by the technology, shopping, and entertainment industries. The use of controller classes is important because the framework is not based solely on MVC development. Views and templates are optional, so developers can use their naming and coding conventions. The Codeigniter framework is quite famous among developers for the freedom it gives them. The framework is also very small, and third-party plug-ins can be easily added if complex features are needed. The features of this framework include no restrictive coding rules, zero configurations, no need for model languages, and much more.
| Yii
Released in 2008 and is one of the oldest PHP frameworks. The latest version of the framework is quickly gaining popularity among developers of enterprise-class web applications. The framework uses lazy loading technology to improve site performance. Yii is a pure olio-oriented framework that provides a clean and logical code base without repetitions. Builtwith.com shows that the US has the highest number of companies using Yii (12,321), followed by the UK (369). Yii is integrated with jQuery and has AJAX features that make it quite easy to implement a user-friendly teamwork and skinning mechanism. Yii also has a powerful class code generator that makes rapid prototyping and object-oriented programming easier, and it also has a web-based interface that allows developers to create the code they need.
| Thin
With open-source and advanced microcode, Slim gives developers everything they need. Untroubling APIs and assistance can be efficiently produced using Slim. The most prominent advantage for developers utilizing Slim is that they don’t become to spend time acquiring it, as the code base is very small. The framework also has a first-class middleware architecture and URL routing. The Slim framework also supports Flash messages, encrypted cookies, client-side HTTP requests, cookie encryption, and page templates. The framework is usually the core of the application, around which the developer writes code as needed, or fully functional web applications can be created by inserting existing components from different frameworks.
| CakePHP
Although CakePHP was released in 2005, it is one of the most popular PHP frameworks used today because it has evolved and is still relevant today. Key features of CakePHP 3.0 include modularity based on decoupling multiple components, improved session handling, and the ability to create standalone libraries. Tools such as composer, PSR-0, and PSR-1 have greatly improved interoperability. Websites for global brands such as Hyundai, BMW, and Express have used CakePHP. For web applications that require a high level of security, CakePHP is the best tool with many built-in security features such as SQL injection blocking, input validation, cross-site request forgery (CSRF) protection, cross-site scripting (XSS) protection, and more.
PHP frameworks have been around for a very long time, but the ever-changing environment of web development means that frameworks need to change with it. The default choice for developers creating complex web applications like CRM and CMS systems and large open-source projects has always been PHP frameworks. There are several different frameworks that companies can use to build their websites, but choosing the right one can be difficult. There are many web development companies that help in web development.
