Zend Framework - a handy tool for rapid development in PHP5. The boys (and girls) at Zend know a thing or two about PHP, having developed more than a handful of code utilities used on practically every server on the internet. Since frameworks are the kick nowadays (see previous post on Javascript frameworks), makes sense that Zend would be cranking one out. Here’s why it doesn’t suck:
- Loosely-Coupled - No, I’m not talking about your sister’s off-again/on-again ex. With Zend, you only use what you need to get the job done. The View object doesn’t care if the rest of the library is missing; it works just fine on its own. The DB components are not saddened by the loss of unused Adapter classes. Zend_Locale will not whine about being intentionally ignored, and neither will any of the other components if that’s all you need. Pick and choose, take what you need, omit the rest, and get on with developing.
- Well-Documented - Being a programmer and thus inherently lazy, I’m easily impressed by frivolous acts like external documentation. Don’t get me wrong, API docs are gret for figuring out just what this stupid component is expected to return, but there’s nothing quite like a running narrative peppered with practical examples to really give a dev the feel of a system. The ZF docs are better than most in this regard and fairly up-to-date as new releases come out. Admittedly, I reference the Manual at least as much as the API.
- It Just Works - One of the best reasons to use something, anything really, is because it just works. One of the nice things about ZF is just that. With a minimal amount of configuration and conformance to enforced standards, you’ll have a simple MVC app running and ready for development. Beyond that, you can configure and tweak and break convention to your rebellious little heart’s content; it’s more than a little accommodating in that regard.
