If you are looking for an open source PHP Framework for building various web applications with PHP5 then Zend is the framework of your choice implemented completely with the concepts of Object Oriented programming. One unique feature about Zend Framework is its component structure i.e. each of the component is designed in such a way that it has minimal number of dependencies on other components. Thus the web developers can make use of this loosely coupled architecture to make use of each component individually.
The components of the Zend Framework within the standard library make it an extensible and powerful PHP framework. This framework offers a database abstraction which is simple to use , strong and high performance MVC implementation, forms components which allow HTML validation, form rendering and filtering so as to make it easy for the web developers to merge all the operations in one single object oriented interface that is simple and easy to use. There are as well components such as Zend_Acl, Zend_Auth which will allow user authentication and authorization in opposition to all the common credential stores. There are still others which implement client libraries for accessing the famous web services. Regardless of whatever your web application requirements are you will definitely find one or more Zend Framework components that you can use to significantly cut down on the development time via a meticulously tested foundation.
Zend Framework has a highly vibrant community which makes it possible for this framework to deliver and render support for all the features. If you have any kind of questions related to the usage of any component in this framework you will always have the Zend Framework Community to rescue you.
Why only Zend Framework ?
If you are wondering that with so many available PHP Frameworks why only Zend Framework then the answer is here :
- This framework is highly secure as it has all the necessary cryptographic and secure coding tools for doing things in the right way.
- This framework offers great level of extensibility allowing you to adapt to your needs.
- Zend is a modular framework with building blocks which you can use piece by piece along with other frameworks or applications.
- The Zend Framework is engineered keeping in mind the performance tuning aspects.
- It is an enterprise ready framework with a proven success history in high usage web applications.
- Last but not the last the active and vibrant community of the Zend framework provides the users with a great base for help.
If you are still not satisfied with the features of Zend and are wondering why it being regarded as one of the premier frameworks being used by PHP developers then you need to understand that it is because it provides clean and stable code that has all the intellectual property rights. PHP is nowadays ruling the world of enterprise space and in case if you are among one of the fortune 500 companies you would definitely not want to take any chance on the module that you submit to repository is an intellectual property of any other company.
Zend Framework at a Glance
Uses the MVC Paradigm Is object oriented and based purely on PHP. Zend has open source contributors.
With Zend Framework you can make your programming life much easier not merely by using the MVC paradigm but as well for various other specific things such as output to a PDF file , accessing the database which can be done in a very easy manner with Zend Framework.