What is the most used PHP framework?
Despite PHP not being the best, or even most modern computer programming language, PHP usage statistics demonstrate that this language is versatile enough and here to stay.
As of October 2022, according to survey data from W3Tech, 78.9% of all websites with a known server-side programming language are currently using PHP one way or the other.
In this article, Bocasay, our offshore outsourcing company, begins with PHP basics and continues with an overview of Laravel, currently the most used PHP framework in web development.
What is a PHP?
Originally created in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf, PHP has since been maintained and developed by a large community of developers. It is free to use and has become one of the most popular web development languages, powering millions of websites and applications around the world.
It is a widely-used open-source scripting language that is designed for web development. It stands for “PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor”, and it is often used in conjunction with HTML and other web programming languages to create dynamic web pages and web applications.
PHP is a server-side language, which means that it is executed on the server rather than on the client’s computer. It is used to perform a wide range of tasks, such as :
- Generating dynamic content.
- Handling form data.
- Interacting with databases.
What is a PHP Framework?
A PHP framework is a collection of pre-written PHP code that enables developers to build web applications more quickly and efficiently. Frameworks provide a basic structure for building web applications and offer a set of pre-built libraries, functions and tools that make it easier for developers to write clean, reusable and maintainable code.
Functionality of PHP Frameworks
PHP frameworks often include a wide range of key features that include the following:
- A Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture that separates the application logic from the user interface.
- Routing and URL handling that make it easier to map URLs to controllers and actions.
- Templating engines that allow developers to write HTML and other markup code separately from the application logic.
- Database abstraction layers that simplify database interaction and management.
- Input validation and security features that help prevent common web application vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection.
Some popular PHP frameworks include Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter, Yii and the Zend Framework. Using a PHP framework can save developers time and effort by providing a solid foundation for their web application, allowing them to focus on the unique features of their project.
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Laravel, the worldβs most popular PHP framework
What is the Laravel Framework?
Laravel is a free, open-source PHP web application framework that was created by Taylor Otwell in 2011. It is a popular framework that provides a robust set of tools and features for building modern and scalable web applications. Laravel follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern, which helps developers to organize their code and separate concerns between the different components of their application.
The framework is known for its expressive and elegant syntax, which makes it easy to write and read code. Overall, Laravel is a powerful and flexible framework that can be used to build a wide range of web applications, from small personal blogs to large enterprise-level applications.
Today, Laravel is the most widely-used PHP framework because of its capacity to securely handle complex web applications faster than other frameworks.
Laravel Advantages
By choosing Laravel, you can benefit from several advantages it provides over other frameworks. Here are some of the key benefits of using Laravel:
- Ease of Use: Laravel is designed to be easy to learn, even for beginners. It has a simple and elegant syntax that is easy to read and understand. The framework also provides a wide range of documentation, tutorials and resources to help developers get started quickly.
- MVC Architecture: Following the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern, Laravel provides a clean separation of concerns between the application logic and the presentation layer. This makes it easier to write and maintain code, and allows developers to work more efficiently.
- Artisan Command-Line Interface: Offering an intuitive command-line interface called Artisan, Laravel makes it easy to perform common tasks such as generating boilerplate code, as well as running database migrations and unit tests.
- Third-Party Integration: Laravel integrates seamlessly with a wide range of third-party tools and services, such as AWS, Stripe and Algolia. This makes it easy to add additional functionality to your application without having to write custom code.
- Community Support: Supported by a large and active community of developers who contribute to the framework and provide support to other developers. This means that developers can find solutions to common problems quickly and easily, and can benefit from the collective knowledge of the community.
Laravel Disadvantages
While Laravel is a popular and powerful PHP framework, it also has some potential drawbacks that developers should be aware of. Here are some of the main cons of using Laravel:
- Learning Curve: Regardless of Laravel being designed to be easy to learn, it still has a learning curve for developers who are new to the framework. Developers may need to invest some time in learning the Laravel-specific syntax and concepts, which could slow down development in the short term.
- Performance Overhead: Like all PHP frameworks, Laravel introduces some performance overhead compared to writing custom PHP code. This is because the framework has to load and execute a lot of additional code in order to provide its features and functionality. However, this performance impact is generally minimal and should not be a significant concern for most applications.
- Version Compatibility: Laravel is an actively developed framework. This means that new versions are released frequently. However, this can also make it challenging to keep up with the latest changes and ensure compatibility with third-party packages.
- Convention-over-Configuration: Laravel is built on the convention-over-configuration principle, which means that the framework makes assumptions about how developers want to structure their code. This can be a good thing in some cases, as it encourages best practices and standardization, but it can also be limiting in situations where developers require more flexibility.
- Large Codebase: Because Laravel provides so many built-in features and tools, its codebase is relatively large compared to other PHP frameworks. This can make it more difficult to understand the specifics of how the framework works, and may require additional resources to run efficiently.
