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Zend Framework is a crucial component of eBaum's World, powering their main site and ensuring its seamless operation. Many companies have …
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What is Laminas Project?
Zend Framework was a PHP framework developed by Zend Technologies and acquired by Rogue Wave Software. The Laminas Project is the community managed Open Source Continuation of Zend Framework managed by the Linux Foundation. Transition initiated after Rogue Wave was…
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Zend Framework is a crucial component of eBaum's World, powering their main site and ensuring its seamless operation. Many companies have relied on Zend Framework, particularly version 1.x, for their projects, benefiting from its extensive documentation and the ease of hiring and training developers experienced with the framework. Its popularity has made it a default choice for PHP-based projects, as it is widely used by major PHP frameworks.
Although some developers may find Zend Framework more complex compared to other frameworks, alternative frameworks like Symfony and Laravel have leveraged Zend classes to provide a more accessible and extended experience. Additionally, Zend Framework has proven successful in long-running MVC applications and is highly recommended for small to medium-sized projects that prioritize efficiency. It also serves as a versatile vendor library, offering utility classes for tasks such as PDF management and cryptographic implementation. Another notable use case is the development of websites that consume APIs using Zend Framework. Lastly, organizations rely on the Zend PHP Engine as a robust framework for debugging PHP environments and monitoring various functionalities in LAMP stack setups.
Excellent interface for working with databases: Several users have praised the interface of Zend Framework 2, stating that it is excellent for managing databases. They appreciate the built-in safeguards that prevent bad data from being injected into the databases, reducing the risk of corruption or data loss.
Flexible and customizable view: Many reviewers have found Zend Framework 2 to be highly flexible when it comes to customizing the view. They mention that it is easy to modify the view according to their specific requirements, especially when dealing with ajax requests. This flexibility allows them to render content exactly as desired.
Widely used and supported by leading enterprises: Some users have highlighted that Zend Framework 2 is widely adopted by major software enterprises. They value its long-term support, which they believe surpasses that of any other framework. The reputation and widespread usage of the framework instill confidence in its reliability and stability.
Inconsistent Route Loading: Some users have reported experiencing issues with the order in which routes are loaded, leading to inconsistencies across different servers. They suggest that Zend should address this issue to ensure a consistent loading and parsing of routes.
Complex Database Functionality: Several reviewers have expressed dissatisfaction with the database functionality of Zend, particularly when it comes to specifying a specific index. They had to create their own workaround as there was no built-in function available for this purpose.
Steep Learning Curve: Many users have found Zend Framework 2 to be overly complex, especially for small projects. They feel that compared to other frameworks, there is a steep learning curve involved in understanding and working with its code.
Based on user reviews, users highly recommend using Zend Framework on a large scale, as they believe it is one of the best and secure frameworks of PHP. Another common recommendation is to pair Zend Studio with Zend Server for a solid PHP development environment. Many users suggest using Zend Framework for web design, as they find it completely object-oriented and following the MVC paradigm. These recommendations highlight the growing potential and community-driven plugins of Zend Framework, its popularity among leading software enterprises, and its powerful routing system in Zend Framework 2. However, some users note that it may require additional configuration and can be challenging to correct. Additionally, it may not be suitable for situations where speed is crucial. Nevertheless, many users appreciate the compatibility of Zend products and how they have saved them time compared to previous applications.
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(1-5 of 5)Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Zend Framework is used in two systems at my former company. One system has been designed and implemented as a Zend Framework MVC application with version 1.x. It has been live and running for over 10 years, and it still runs Zend Framework version 1.x as is still supported and working well. The other system uses Zend Framework as a vendor library, to consume several utility classes as PDF management or some cryptographic implementation.
- Long term support not matched by any other framework.
- Well designed architecture, very natural for any PHP developer.
- "Enterprise" spirit, it's OOP patterns will be very familiar to any Java, C# or C++ developer.
- Good support, services and ecosystem offered by the Zend company
- For some reason it has never been too popular.
- Quick prototyping may not be super fast and easy like with other RAD frameworks available.
- It doesn't exist anymore! It has transitioned into a community-driven project called Laminas.
- It has had zero cost of maintenance over the last 10 years and counting.
- No version upgrade has introduced a single issue in 10 years.
- Systems didn't have to be re-implemented and they aren't in debt either.
Zend Framework is great to be used a library on any PHP project architected with any of those frameworks. When the project started, Zend Framework was the most advanced PHP framework around, and it stuck with us. Today there are multiple high-quality options and Zend Framework is one of them, maintaining a clean record of good longterm support, high-quality architecture, and constant innovation.
The Zend PHP framework in my opinion is the default framework for any PHP based project. It's supported by the core contributors of PHP and you will find that most of the major PHP frameworks rely on Zend classes.
Many developers won't choose to use Zend because compared to other frameworks it might be complicated, so you have a learning curve issue.
If you get to see some Symfony or Laravel classes, you will see that many of those extend Zend core classes. The reason why those other frameworks encapsulate Zend classes is because those are well built but are not so easy to use and you might add some value by extending them.
I have developed custom backend APIs by entirely using Zend, which makes those faster than using other more complex frameworks. For small or medium sized projects I would strongly suggest using Zend.
Many developers won't choose to use Zend because compared to other frameworks it might be complicated, so you have a learning curve issue.
If you get to see some Symfony or Laravel classes, you will see that many of those extend Zend core classes. The reason why those other frameworks encapsulate Zend classes is because those are well built but are not so easy to use and you might add some value by extending them.
I have developed custom backend APIs by entirely using Zend, which makes those faster than using other more complex frameworks. For small or medium sized projects I would strongly suggest using Zend.
- The performance is superior compared to other frameworks.
- It's supported by the contributions of the core classes of PHP.
- Extensive updated documentation.
- The code isn't that easy to understand.
- The learning curve compared to other frameworks is bigger.
- The good thing of using Zend is the fact that it's supported by the team in charge of PHP itself so they will always be aligned with the road path of php.
- Something bad is the learning curve. As a developer you will invest more time with Zend than with other frameworks.
It isn't the fastest but is one of the faster available. It's the only one currently supported actively by the PHP team itself.
You might find more classes in Symfony for instance, but in the end, most of the core files will be supported above Zend classes either by extension or by encapsulation.
The only con that I see is the learning curve required to adopt this framework, and the amount of additional work you will have to do to build PHP based apps with it.
You might find more classes in Symfony for instance, but in the end, most of the core files will be supported above Zend classes either by extension or by encapsulation.
The only con that I see is the learning curve required to adopt this framework, and the amount of additional work you will have to do to build PHP based apps with it.
April 30, 2016
Zero in on Zend Framework!
We use Zend Framework as the engine for our main site. I am the only one that manages it, but eBaum's World wouldn't run without it!
- Excellent interface for databases. I trust that no bad data will accidentally be injected causing the databases to become corrupt or drop.
- The routing is really great. We have a lot of custom routing and it makes it very easy to add or adjust routes and ensure they're getting where they need to go.
- Zend provides so much flexibility in the controllers for dealing with the view. It's so easy to customize the view to render just how you want it. Especially when dealing with a request that may or may not be ajax.
- My most recent gripe with Zend was when it turned out that the order the routes are loaded differ from server to server. I know this is a PHP issue but it would be great if Zend stepped into ensure the routes were loaded and parsed in the same order no matter where it's running.
- I wish template variables were automatically included in nested templates. It's annoying having to pass the variables once in the controller and then again within the template when loading in a new piece.
- The database functionality could use a bit of expansion. We had to write our own workaround when needing to specify a specific index. There's no built in function to handle this and we didn't want to have to resort to hand writing queries that require a specific index that the DB might not default to.
- Zend is so flexible that we haven't even felt the need to upgrade to Zend Framework 2. There's nothing we need that it can't do.
- With our installation it's so easy for me to create new modules, and have model, view, controller, route, up and running in minutes. It is so straight forward and logical it's so simple to work with once you get the hang of it.
One time we needed a new site up and running fast. It needed a complicated blog style CMS with good user management and Zend just wasn't going to cut it with the time constraints. We ended up going with Expression Engine, which is built on top of CodeIgniter and I HATED it. I ended up having to make so many customization inside the source code to be able to use our file storage system as well as configuration changes based on the environment. Thankfully the site is no longer functional and I can just stick with Zend! Zend is just so flexible.
1
I am the Head of Development and the only software engineer. So I do everything. Design new modules, models, libraries, scripts, database tables, queries, javascript, html, css, everything. The team asks for a new feature and I build it.
1
It's all me again. There's no real support needed for Zend. Just supporting our code base.
- We use the cherry picking bootstrapping abilities to quickly get scripts up and running, especially when they deal with the database so we don't have to duplicate DB calls in straight PHP.
- The Zend View Helper set up is so great for adding key functionality off to the side that doesn't need to muck up the regular data fetching and template building. The reusability is great.
- I love the functionality built in for debugging. Just the regular Zend_Debug::dump() I use it on a daily basis! As well as the ->__toString for queries to easily copy/paste into a MySQL editor.
- We rely hard on the APPLICATION_ENV and the config/bootstrap to easily customize the data sources for production, staging, and development. It makes it so easy to set up the config once, a few checks in the bootstrap and every environment is flawless. It removes the headache of having to edit IPs everytime. I'm not sure if this is innovative but it sure does save a lot of hassle.
- We use the library namespace quite a bit. At this point we have 2 separate libraries, one that we can easily port and have it work with any new site as well as once that's specific to eBaum's World. We have amazing code architecture but Zend's flexibility makes it so easy to manage.
- We may be expanding our reach of sites we manage, and if that becomes the case I can't wait to convert those code bases to Zend and see complicated code become simple and clean.
Yes
My company took over an existing site with a homegrown CMS. It was an absolute mess!! It was trying to be model - view - controller, but really it was a giant switch statement. There was so much legacy code and bad logic that the maintenance it needed was out of control.
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
- Vendor Reputation
My boss was the one who selected Zend Framework. His main reason for it was guaranteed support. Since Zend is the commercial backing of PHP there was no chance that Zend Framework would become an abandoned project, leaving us scrambling to replace it. The quality of the code is superb. Plus there's a large user base which means it's easy to search for a problem you're having and find the answers quickly. Which is really important when you're such a small team.
Given that I didn't do the initial evaluation, this question is a bit tricky. I trust that my boss did the right thing when selecting Zend. Zend Framework has excellent resources, and isn't likely to become an abandoned product. The one thing I would look at when selecting a new framework will be overhead. Zend doesn't perform that well with overhead. We're a very large site with millions of page views a day. The site is growing and that kind of overhead will quickly become detrimental. But I will definitely compare Zend Framework 2 with other frameworks first.
- Creating new modules is SO easy. It takes 2 minutes. I can have the route, bootstrap, controllers, models, template structure ready to go. And I know that it will work!
- Pagination!!!! We're a media sites with LOTS of listings pages. I love the Zend_Paginator object. We incorporated it into our List class so every list call generates this object so it's consistent in all templates. Pagination logic is tedious, and the Zend_Paginator has everything you need without the headache.
- Recently we've been focusing on SEO improvements and the flexibility Zend offers for adding meta tags to the head or anything else is so easy from within the controller. I don't feel like there's a lot of logic duplication in 18 different places.
- Zend is hard to get in to. The set up, configuration, bootstrapping, etc is incredibly daunting. My boss handled that but when I look at what he did I can't imagine how he figured it out. We have a non-conformist setup to our code base where we have a series of modules under an app folder. Within each module we have model, view, controller folders. It works well for how expansive our site is b/c having all controllers or modules in one folder would be so hard to sort through quickly. That speaks more to the way we work.
- Zend Framework can be hard to trace through when you're trying to figure out the innerworkings. I know there's some not-great hacks I've implemented in our codebase b/c I didn't have the patience to examine Zend. But usually with Zend, once you figure it out you're kicking yourself for not having realized it sooner.
- The routing is starting to become a problem. We use regex in multiple XML files, and we've recently run into issues where each server reads the routes in a different order, causing different results. In my development environment it's fine, in production it isn't b/c a certain module route isn't read at the end like my dev env, causing a 404. I've had to result to moving routes from one module to another to ensure read order, but it breaks the organization of the code base.
April 01, 2016
Zend Framework 2.x Review
I've used Zend Framework at several different companies. Most companies I've worked for are still using Zend Framework 1.x, and usually in migration to either a different framework or Zend Framework 2.x. I have been looking at Zend Framework 3.x but have not used it in production software yet. This review is primarily for Zend Framework 2. If you're a company thinking about using Zend Framework, you should definitely focus on using Zend Framework 2 and not the much, much older Zend Framework 1 anymore. Zend Framework solves the problem of bootstrapping and sharing knowledge because there is already well-written documentation around the Zend Framework software library. If you try to build a proprietary framework from scratch, you'll be spending a lot of money and writing a lot of unnecessary documentation. Training and hiring is simpler - as you can find people who have experience with Zend Framework.
- Zend Framework 2 provides a lot of best-practice tools, design patterns, and libraries for large-scale software projects.
- Zend Framework 2 uses an event-based model, a dependency injection model, and proper use of PHP5+ namespaces.
- Zend Framework 2 is used by a lot of large, leading software enterprises.
- Zend Framework 2 is overly complex for small projects.
- Zend Framework 2 documentation sometimes overlooks small details, which means you will need to delve into the code directly.
- Zend Framework 2 bug fixes on GitHub usually take quite a long time to get patched.
- Zend Framework 2 has made training easier, as we can point junior engineers to the official documentation.
Laravel is simpler but has less mature components. For example, the event modeling and dependency injection in Zend Framework 2 seems to handle many more advanced cases a lot easier - where as in Laravel you will have to probably build much more on top of what they provide. CodeIgniter is smaller, but also a bit more restrictive as the code base grows. Symfony is good, but doesn't offer all the same component flexibility. Drupal and WordPress are appropriate as CMSs, but when building a site that needs significant customization without any kludge or weirdly trying to fit your business model into the CMS scheme, it makes much more sense to use Zend Framework which would allow you to do things more specific to your business needs. However, that comes with the downside of NOT being able to leverage stuff that these CMSs provide. There's always the right tool for the job.
March 22, 2016
Zend Framework Review
Zend Framework is being used for the development of websites consuming an API.
- It has a decent service container
- Very configurable to make the framework do what you want
- The routing configuration is very painful to use. Seems like it was thrown together.
- The framework is very heavy, and sometimes confusing with how abstracted everything is.
- This was out of the scope of my position at the company. I did not have access to this type of information.
While Zend Framework is similar to Laravel and Symfony, and seemingly more popular among businesses, I feel like it is harder to use compared to these two. Laravel and Symfony seem more friendly to the developer in terms of documentation and ease of use, though Zend Framework isn't too far behind and can be more powerful.