Daniel's Corner

For my next project I have decided to use a PHP framework. There are far too many PHP frameworks to evaluate them all carefully, so after a modest look, I narrowed my choices down to CakePHP, CodeIgniter and Yii. One can’t make a good comparison without actually using each framework in a real project, so that’s what I will do. This comparison will have two parts:

• Part 0 is this page. Here I explain by comparison criteria.
• Part I will be my evaluation after reading all the documentation and writing a hello-world application.
• Part II will be the result of my experience as I use each framework to write a prototype for my real-world application.

Project description:

I want to rewrite a legacy PHP application that has outgrown its design. The application is very database-oriented. Our customers are UK schools and the core of the system is a database with student data (marks (grades), awards, teaching groups, etc).

My Criteria

There is no universal, absolute “best” PHP framework. It depends on your particular needs and preferences. Here is a list of the key things that I will be looking for in selecting a PHP framework. The criteria are not in any particular order:

Simplicity

I value simplicity above having every possible feature. I like to understand the tools I use. I certainly don’t mind if the framework has every possible feature, but not at the expense of simplicity.

Documentation

I value clarity and organization above documenting every detail. Maybe it’s my background as a teacher and author, but I do set a high standard for documentation. Above all else, I expect it to be clear and well organized.

Performance

I value code quality and correctness above speed. Although I will not use a fast but otherwise poor framework, the reality is that for my application performance is a real concern. Thus, I must seriously consider performance in my analysis.

Flexibility

I value flexibility above conventions. I have a legacy database that I must use. I am replacing a legacy application that was not well designed. Some of the business logic is a bit complex. I need a tool that can cope with this without making my life difficult.

Security

I value security above most things. I take security seriously and I want my tools to be likewise. For example, to avoid SQL Injection attacks, most frameworks are content to simply escape strings so they can support PHP4. I am not satisfied with that. I want good security (prepared statements) and to heck with PHP4.