I think Wade is wrong, all frameworks are not dumb - there are 2 big reasons for using frameworks:
1) productivity
2) code structure & documentation

1) a "lean" framework like CodeIgniter does not require a lot of "learning" and in fact takes out a lot of coding and potential errors, security lapses, etc. that can occur in custom coding. If a framework is halfway good, it has already been tested by the core team and the user community.. I would be surprised if a moderately proficient php person is not productive within an hour or two of using CodeIgniter. Furthermore it's easier to get help on a user forum since everyone is working on the same code structure. It is also far easier to hire or bring a new programmer onto a framework project than to make them decipher a custom project.

2) if you are working in or working for any sort of business, good, clean code that can be easily understood by others is an absolute must for any sort of code maintenance. I would never again (been burned once) allow any "custom coding" without very exacting code standards - a framework provides those standards and anyone else working on the code can simply follow the framework logic. Furthermore, a good framework provides good documentation already for you and you don't have to pay to have documentation provided or created. Because PHP can so easily be customized, it has that well deserved reputation of becoming "spaghetti code" - have 5 people work on a custom php project and you're likely to get 5 different logic streams. If language is not critical, and you want "full features" consider Rails(ruby) or Django(python). You may have good reasons not to use either one but many excellent, nationally regarded web programmers have acknowledged Rails set the standard for web MVC programming. Django is perhaps the best framework where high performance is required (ie Washington Post). Personally I have found CodeIgniter to be the best "lean,mean" framework out there. Joe Gregorio's Robaccia is similar in python, and while it is not an official, supported framework project, it simply assembles several well supported python libraries.


Wade Preston Shearer wrote:
Id like to know what PHP frameworks if any you use.

I don't use any. I have never felt like I needed one or that there would be much benefit, or that the cons would outweigh the benefits.

I think they are dumb, generally because they are unnecessary bloat. They have to make be generic and all encompassing to work for many scenarios so you have bloat. I like my stuff to be lean and mean and completely custom. I'm not saying that I like to reinvent the wheel just for the fun of it, but I need to have complete control of everything including the display and have confidence in ever aspect of the application from performance to security. There are a couple that I might consider like Code Ignighter, but for the most part there is no interest.

If a framework comes with a few things like a DB-connect module, a form engine, a validator, an authentication module… has a templating engine (separates the display from the business logic)… and a few other things like that… and that is all it does… then it could be helpful in jumpstarting you on a project and not reinventing the wheel each time, but if it does much more than that, then it's bloat and will actually be a hinderance as you will waste more time figuring out how to use it and trying to customize it then you would have just writing it yourself.
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