Top 6 PHP Frameworks to Learn for Web Development

PHP is one of the widely used dominant programming languages for developing websites and web applications. It is an open-source server-side scripting language. PHP frameworks provide the necessary structure to simplify the complex coding process and customize websites as per the requirements. It assists developers by providing well-organized, maintainable, and reusable code to create exclusive web applications efficiently and quickly. If you’re getting started with PHP and confused to choose the right one from the massive list of PHP frameworks, then, here is a compiled list of best PHP frameworks. 1. Laravel Laravel is the most popular Model-View-Controller open-source framework introduced in 2011. It enables the developer to build the most robust web applications by simplifying everyday tasks such as authentication, security, session, routing and caching. Laravel is widely used for its lightweight & innovative inbuilt templates. It uses expressive language rules that make web applications stand out from the rest. Key Features • Built-in Librariesrn• Template Enginern• Unit Testingrn• Restful Controllersrn• Eloquent ORM 2. Symfony Introduced in 2005, Symfony is a highly recommended PHP framework by the expert developers for developing large scale enterprise projects. Symfony components make the development process easy by completing several tasks such as form creation, object configuration, authentication, templating, and more using reusable libraries. Key Features • Code Reusability • Easier Maintainabilityrn• High-Performancern• Built-in Testing Functionalitiesrn• Better Security 3. CakePHP CakePHP framework is ideal for beginners as it is easy to use and understand, based on the concept of CRUD (create, read, update, and delete). It is highly used for creating secured commercial applications. Some of the unbeatable features include SQL injection prevention, cross-site request forgery protection, proper class inheritance, validation, and more. Key Features • BakeScriptrn• Richer Query APIrn• Zero Configurationrn• Proper Class Inheritance 4. Zend Zend is an object-oriented PHP framework that uses attributes such as inheritance and interfaces. It is built on the agile methodology that helps developers to create high-quality enterprise applications. Zend offers high customizability to incorporate requirement based functions in your development project. Key Features • Data Encryptionrn• Flexible URI Routingrn• Reusable Code 5. CodeIgniter CodeIgniter is a lightweight framework known for a hassle-free installation with minimal configuration prerequisites. Owing to its performance and faster speed, it is a preferred choice to develop dynamic websites and lightweight applications that run on simple servers. And it is a brilliant choice for beginners to start with CodeIgniter as it comes with a simple set of libraries. Key Features • Built-in functionalityrn• Faster Execution timern• Exception Error Handlingrn• Simpler and Easy to Use 6. Yii The list of popular PHP frameworks would remain incomplete without Yii. It is an object-oriented universal web programming framework because it is well-suited to develop all kinds of web applications. Yii is based on the Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY) concept and can be easily integrated with jQuery and AJAX features. Key Features • Easy Installationrn• Highly Extensiblern• Highly Secure Conclusion These are some of the best PHP frameworks for web development. Every structure comes with its own set of features. So, it is advisable to choose the right framework based on your understanding of the requirements. If you wish to learn fundamentals of developing robust web applications, consider joining the PHP web development training course.