The most popular language for web development, PHP is currently being used in more than 20 million domains and major sites like Facebook, Wikipedia, Drupal and WordPress. Though an easy to learn language, there are just a few PHP developers/programmers who make a cut above the rest.

Successful professionals are made by experience. People who have worked in live projects, deployed self-designed commercial applications and are conversant with the various databases are highly demanded in the industry. It’s a long ride for PHP developers looking to make it to this ‘elite’ class. Here are some tips to help them out:

1.       Using OOP

Object Oriented Programming (OOP) always puts you at an advantage. OOP uses classes that help tie things together and minimize the need for code repetition. In simple terms, OOP makes it a lot easier to wrap functions into error free and executable programs. Acquaint yourself with OOP and you will have to deal with less coding and more logic.

2.       Don’t end anything with ‘_once’()

Every PHP programmer knows ‘include()’ gives warning when it fails and ‘require()’ kills the script if it comes across any error. However, include_once() and require_once() are very heavy on server resources. If you are working on a huge framework especially, these things are better not included.

3.       Keep ‘error reporting’ on

Whenever staring a new project, it is best to first turn on the error reporting to E_ALL. Also, make sure you turn it off ten seconds before the script goes into the production mode. It couldn’t be better if you can have a completely error free production mode. Besides, error reporting picks up all those minor discrepancies that even professional programmers seem to make.

4.       Use frameworks when you need them

Many experts, including the likes of Rasmus Lerdorf would say that frameworks make a code much slower than the normal. However, firstly remember that you aren’t a Rasmus Lerdorf as of yet and secondly, you need not write the “Hello World” application every time you are seated at your desk. Frameworks make things really simpler and you reduce the risk of wasting your time in writing bad codes. Why not use resources you have?

5.       Exploit inbuilt functions

Why loop an array and simply incrementing value of every iteration when counting the number of keys? The built in PHP functions like count() can replace all the lines you would have written and give you the same result. Like count(), PHP integrates several other functions that make the many basic tasks a matter of just a command insertion.

6.       Protect the database

The safest and most recommended way is using mysql_real_escape_string() with all databases before they are added. This function will make the string safe in term of functions that can harm with malicious codes and in terms of quotes.

7.       POST instead of GET

Though this will not be always possible, POST is always safer than GET especially when using form submissions.

8.       Wireframe

It is always better to draw your projects before getting to the task, even if it means scribbling a few lines and drawing a schematic. The basic idea is to get behind the mechanics of the application before starting to code.

As with anything else, practice makes a great programmer. Code something that draws your interests and you will eventually love to go deeper.

A web application framework is used to design a web based application that can be accessed by all devices. PHP has the most extensive and popular list of PHP frameworks when it comes to web application development because it uses a very simple coding language and apps with this framework have a versatile outlook. Take for instance Facebook – Yes, it is the biggest open source web application based on this framework.

The best possible way to choose a PHP framework is to analyse the purpose of your application first. For example, there is no point picking a Ferrari supercar for an off-road event where you will have to travel in rough conditions. Yes, Ferrari offers the best and the most expensive cars in the world but they are supposed to travel on evenly laid tarmac, not through dust and stones. Similarly, you can spend millions on the most expensive framework possible but if it is not in sync with the aim of your application, it is useless. Here are a few other things that you should keep in mind while choosing a PHP framework.

Online Payments

An application with the option of online payment requires a dedicated framework in order to provide a secure and hassle-free payment mode. You need to make the users feel that their credit/debit card details will be confidential, and for that, you need to use a framework which keeps all data within it and stops unauthorised access to the database. Magento and osCommerce are the two popular frameworks along with Zend.

Noteworthy example – Flipkart, the biggest e-commerce player of India, uses Zend framework.

Number of images

If you are looking forward to build a rich web application full of graphics and images, then you should opt for Ruby on Rails framework. It is the best PHP based framework in case there are a lot of photographs with links.

Noteworthy example – Slideshare is the best example of a web app based on this framework.

Video Based

Video based app need an interactive framework and PHPmotion is the best thing currently available. The framework is used by almost every popular video sharing apps and is also popular among apps based on music, as well as, photo sharing.

Noteworthy example – Check out YouTube, built on this framework.

Content Rich

Most of the news based websites and other sites having substantial amount of content use WordPress as their default framework. It is one of the easiest frameworks from a development perspective and is popular because of its publishing system. It is also the first preference of bloggers due to its flexibility and wide choice of themes.

Mobile Based

The popularity of smartphones has forced websites to develop a distinct mobile version and a mobile app version. eyeOS is the preferred PHP based framework to be used in this case. It is popular because it adapts to smaller screens and provides a better viewing experience.

Interactive and Dashboard Enabled

Open Atrium is the latest PHP framework witnessing massive adoption. It is popular amongst content rich apps which offers a great visual experience through their dashboard feature. It is also used for providing links to Facebook, Twitter and other social media platform where the app has an official page/handle.

In the last couple of years, there have been ground breaking changes in framework technologies. Over the decade, PHP frameworks like Phalcon, Laravel, Zend, Symphony and Codeigniter have gotten bigger and consequently better. Today, they are the leading tools for developers looking to create large applications with ease. Frameworks today is one of the most crucial skill set for development professionals. Here are the situations when you need to use a framework in PHP.

1.       When development relies on Coding and file organization

Just because you have a “/inc” folder with “functions.php” doesn’t necessarily mean that your code is organized. Every PHP framework comes with a certain folder structure by default. Developers are expected to follow these standards and subsequently keep things organized. This can however be a challenge for developers using the vi. Here, there are more numbers of smaller files. However with IDE and other code organizers, it will get easier in searching what you need and when you need.

2.       Using Utilities and libraries

PHP provides countless numbers of libraries and tools. However, when it comes to building websites, most developers will either hunt for third party libraries/codes or write them on their own. However, diving deep into existing PHP libraries will give you better opportunities with things like form validation, database abstraction, input/output filtering, cooking and session handling, pagination, calendar, emails etc.

3.       Using the MVC structure

Model View Controller was introduced into PHP back in 1979 but it still remains one of the most important aspects of programming. Models in MVC represent data structures interfaced with the database. Views on the other hand contain the page templates and various layouts. Lastly, Controllers bind everything together including handling page requests.

4.       When you require strict security

PHP provides a variety of input and output filtering options to protect the final website against hacks and other attacks. If you have handled them manually, it would have been tiring and you might even have skipped some. Frameworks like Codeigniter however does the work automatically by filtering any value pressed to a database object, thus rescuing the code from SQL injections. Similarly, user inputs can be guarded from XSS attacks and encrypting cookies add additional layers of security.

5.       When you want to write less code for faster development

Scripting has always tested the patience and focus of developers. However, once you have passed the learning curve of PHP, you will be able to do more with less coding. As an example, you will not have to depend upon 3^rd party libraries or worry about manually chasing possible bugs.

6.       When you need the support of experts

Being the most popular programming platform today, PHP also attracts a huge community of developers who help each other at every step. Using mailing lists and message boards, you can seek to clarify your problems from experts in the industry.

7.       When development is about teamwork

Another great advantage with PHP libraries is that it facilitates teamwork. You can divide the work among designers (for the Views part), database specialists (Models) and programmers to create reusable plugins, libraries, etc. Further, you can have a separate team working on unit tests as Frameworks come with special tools in this aspect too.

PHP frameworks are continually being improved and give great lengths of opportunities to any web developer.

Zend Framework, better known as ZF, has brought tremendous changes in a PHP developer’s world. As opposed to the traditional website development platforms, Zend allows creation of robust PHP based solutions and web applications. Today, Zend is one of the most popular web development framework used across the globe to create interactive and powerful websites, and it’s not without good reason. There are a good number of beneficial features that aids a programmer to code better. They include:

1.       Extended classes

ZF is a completely object oriented platform and consequently uses lot of OO (object oriented) concepts including interfaces and inheritance. This allows the developer to extend its components to a good extent. Further, this helps developers in implementing their own versions/variations of     each individual component without hacking into the codebase. Customizations such as this bring uniqueness to each project.

2.       The goodness of object orientation

When working in a Zend framework, everything needs to be seen and used as an object. However, this also has its set of disadvantages such as making the coding more complicated. However, it does provide the upper hand by making the codes reusable. However, seldom do developers repeat their code and this makes it a good choice.

3.       Focus on just what you require and forget everything else

Going by the design, Zend is a simple collection of classes. In every ZF project, you would see that the Zend MVC components are being used. However, in other cases, you can just load required components. The Zend platform is quite decoupled, offering each component as an individual library, instead of being a framework as a whole. Developers working in ZF must have heard about glue framework. This actually refers to the decoupled nature of ZF and its ability to be “glued” to existing applications.

4.       Does a lot many things

Zend integrates a lot of components ranging from user authentication to controlling access to resources. Similarly, it is easy to integrate RSS feeds and create forms.

5.       No model implementation

This is both the reason that some developers don’t use Zend framework and some others love it. Lack of model implementation provides developers the flexibility of using any element to achieve the end result. There are no restraints holding back the already complicated implementation.

6.       Integrate ZF with anything

The decoupled nature of ZF makes its suitable to integrate external libraries to be used in the platform. For example, developers planning to use Smarty as their template can simple integrate a wrapping class with Zend_View_Abstract, which in turn uses Smarty to render.

7.       Standards and guidelines

Every contributor should sign a Contribute License Agreement (CLA) and each code must adhere to generalized Coding Standards. This makes every code highly qualitative, tested and readable.

8.       Test driven development practice

Developers are required to write tests for their codes to make it easier to exchange codes, refactor, create input/output whitelist and think of potential use cases.

9.       Documentation and Community

Due to the high complexity, ZF integrates a steep learning curve. However, documentation and an all pervasive community makes it easier for learners to understand the platform.

10.   Certifications

Finally, ZF is perhaps one of the few platforms that offer both Zend Framework Certification and PHP Certification. This will certainly motivate young and emerging developers to take up training and certification exams that will help build their portfolio.

Laravel 5 was released this January amidst much anticipation. The new framework for PHP developers brings along some unique features and also some modifications to the previous architectural foundations. Laravel is both trying to make it simpler and make it more challenging for developers to think creatively and develop better applications. Here are some good things you should know about the latest update.

Directory Structure

A major change has been made to the latest Laravel’s folder structure. It comes with the PSR-4 auto loading standard, meaning that all classes are automatically namespaced. Default namespace for any web application remains “app” but can be changed using the syntax “php artisan app:name <your-app-name>.

Models remain in the app namespace and will be included in the app folder. Any application’s views, assets, and language files will be located in resource folder while the bootstrap, public and vendor directory retain their previous locations. Further, storage, test, database and config directories are now placed in the root folder of projects.

Peeking into the app folder now, developers would notice several classes which are explained later.

Laravel 5 also comes with an improved environment detection. As opposed to the complex and nested configuration directories we found in previous versions, Laravel 5 comes with a new .env file at the root taking care of all environment variables. Further, the php artisan tinker now uses the Psysh package against Boris.

Method injection

Up until the 4.2 version, developers would had to request IoC container to achieve class distance. However, it can be done simpler now by just declaring the class instance into the signature of controller method. The IoC takes care of the rest, even with other parameters playing a role.

<?php

// your class at "app/Classes/your_class.php"

namespace App\Classes

class YourClass

{

// your class implementation

}

// somewhere in one of your controller actions

public function myAction(\App\Classes\YourClass $MyObject)

{

// use $MyObject just like any other object

}

?>

Contracts

Acting as interface classes, contracts are the same tried and tested process of removing class dependencies and creating loosely coupled software elements. If an application process requires catching, one can use Illuminate\Contracts\Cache instead of concrete cache class. This also allows you to plug in and plug out the cache implementation without major changes to the package code.

Route catching

Route catching with the new Laravel helps speed up the route registration of applications and has clear performance benefits. It might however require a larger number of routes to be able to monitor the change in caching. Using the syntax “php artisan route:cache” and “php artisan route:clear”, developers can turn the caching on and off.

Route Middleware

Route Middle ware in Laravel 5 adds extra layers to HTTP routes. It would be a good tool to use when you require codes to be executed before each route or specific routes.

Authentication

With Laravel 5, you will not have to spend a lot of time writing the authentication broilerplate. Laravel’s 5 Registrar service supports this ready to use authentication.

Let us know if any other feature in Laravel 5 has caught your attention.