On Tuesday, September 30, 2014 4:28:32 PM UTC+8, José Lorenzo wrote: > > Before giving my own view into this problem, you you guys list the reasons > why you think CakePHP is a cool or productive framework to work with? Just > give me 3 reasons, no comparisons with other frameworks > > >>
3 reasons: 1. I manage to build a working app despite being a web developer newbie. This was back in CakePHP 1.3-stable going towards CakePHP 2.x-alpha. the bake command helped a lot with that. I think this was the most important reason. 2. The documentation (I meant the Cookbook) was actually readable and the bake command in cake 1 and 2 are very good. 3. I subsequently made money (accumulatively now more than 100K in revenue) using CakePHP 2.x Long story expanding the 3 reasons: 1. I tried Java, C#.Net 1.0, Rails 2.x, PHP, Zend in that order. The problem those did not stick with me was not because of the frameworks or the language. It was because I was not a good enough developer. Also did not help that I have no experience using Linux servers. This was in 2009-2010. However, each time I tried a new framework, I learn new things. The biggest takeaway I had from Rails was that I manage to learn the whole MVC and how every table has its own id. Even the relation table. The bad thing was I was not very good at the Ruby syntax, and if I had persisted with it, I might have never learned CakePHP. Nothing to do with the framework Next came Zend, and oh my good ness the tutorial was incomprehensible for a beginner. Looking back, it was more of a library than a framework. However, learning Zend did force me to finally start trying getting comfortable with Linux servers. By the time, I discovered CakePHP, I was finally good enough for CakePHP and CakePHP was good enough for me. 2. I like the CakePHP documentation when I first started using it. I know Lorenzo asked us for 3 reasons without comparing with other frameworks, however, humans are wired to compare. Recall I said I discover CakePHP after I tried Zend. CakePHP bake and documentation just made it ridiculously easy to start for a newbie. 3. The purpose of me learning frameworks was during that time late 2000s was everybody was trying to build their own web app or starting their own startup. I was no different. However, the startup or webapp was more difficult than the media made it out. And of course, I was very rubbish at that time. After I can finally develop, deploy, and deliver tech solutions using CakePHP and getting paid for it, what did I do? I continue to invest myself in the framework. This may be a tad controversial amongst developers but paying customers generally don't care what framework you use. They just want you to solve problems. No commercial clients have ever stopped hiring my services just because I use CakePHP. Despite all the shiny and woohoo articles written all over the internet about the latest hotness such as Rails 3 then Rails 4 then NodeJs, then Laravel, and so on, I knew that ultimately I needed not so much as the craftsman who needed the latest or even the best tools. I needed to become a better craftsman. And between 2011-2013, I chose to focus to get better and better with using this one tool to improve my craftsmanship. I made a total of 100k over these 2-3 years. I must say it isn't bad choice. I do understand how when I tell people I use Cake, other PHP developers give me the "why aren't you using Laravel" look and ditto from Rails developers. The ecosystem of course can be better with plugins. Ultimately, the lowest effort and best way to improve the publicity for CakePHP is to improve the packaging. This means: - more web 2.0 type of design overhaul on the CakePHP website and the default template that looks like Cake was designed by designers. Not developers who happen to know some CSS. - more testimonials by experienced users of CakePHP. - put Cake 3 front and center in the website once it reaches stablility - focus CakePHP as the framework used to build well-supported and stable web applications I know this makes no sense for us developers, but this is a good way to convince beginners and experts. The one good thing about CakePHP development roadmap is that between backward compatibility and cutting edge, Cake leans towards being backward compatible. So in the stakes of being cool, you guys will never win that fight. So don't. Go with the idea that CakePHP is the framework for professional developers who want to build stable and well-supported web applications and focus the positioning on that. Being "the rapid web development framework" is not distinctive enough. Be the "rapid web development framework product owners choose" is more distinctive. -- Like Us on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/CakePHP Find us on Twitter http://twitter.com/CakePHP --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CakePHP" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cake-php. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
