PHP Frameworks; Why We Use Symfony

TAGS DEVELOPMENT

Later this week, London will be hosting Symfony Live 2014. It seems a very good time to talk about frameworks, Symfony itself and why we use it.

Let me begin by explaining that PHP is a programming language. A framework supports that language, ensuring that the code is set up in a certain structure, and that a certain quality of code is met.

A framework inspires better development by ensuring compliant, structured, maintainable and upgradable code in online applications. Following the ‘rules’ of a framework means that any Symfony developer or team will be able to understand the code or project with a view to maintain or update it in the future.

In turn, a framework will provide faster and better development.

Symfony has been around since 2005, and is very well established. It is trusted by big names such as TED, BBC and Yahoo, and has been used to create many huge websites and applications. The Symfony framework has a large following and an active community of developers, contributors and users. It is open source, which means anyone can use it, and it isn’t hidden behind high entry and accreditation costs.

We chose, and continue to choose Symfony because it:

• has a number of inbuilt security features.
• interacts very nicely with databases such as MySQL and PostgreSQL.
• was built for performance (version 2.0, released in 2011 was written with speed in mind).
• ensures correct syntax, some features won’t function unless the code has been written correctly.
• can help speed up development, or put focus on other bespoke areas by allowing repeated code to be generated automatically.
• fantastic for testing, some areas of unit testing are taken care of. The framework allows us to break down and debug individual areas of code.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!