Cake, symfony, CodeIgnitor, Oh My!

[Rodney H.]

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.

[Vaskerville]

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

[Rodney H.]

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.

[halojoy]

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 ... :D )

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 :)

[Weedpacket]

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.

[halojoy]

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?

:)

[Rodney H.]

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.

[Elizabeth]

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.

[Rodney H.]

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....

[Elizabeth]

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.

[Rodney H.]

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