Ruby on Rails started the framework race, so we’ve been trying several of them. Since we are PHP developers, we tried CakePHP. We liked it, but its configuration is complicated. We stumbled upon CodeIgniter and were surprised how easy is was to install; in, fact it’s zero config! Here’s a summary from EllisLab:
“CodeIgniter is a powerful PHP framework with a very small footprint, built for PHP coders who need a simple and elegant toolkit to create full-featured web applications. If you’re a developer who lives in the real world of shared hosting accounts and clients with deadlines, and if you’re tired of ponderously large and thoroughly undocumented frameworks, CodeIgniter is right for you if…
* You want a framework with a small footprint.
* You need exceptional performance.
* You need broad compatibility with standard hosting accounts that run a variety of PHP versions and configurations.
* You want a framework that requires nearly zero configuration.
* You want a framework that does not require you to use the command line.
* You want a framework that does not require you to adhere to restrictive coding rules.
* You are not interested in large-scale monolithic libraries like PEAR.
* You do not want to be forced to learn a templating language (although a template parser is optionally available if you desire one).
* You eschew complexity, favoring simple solutions.
* You need clear, thorough documentation.”
Download it here.
Yeah I agree, CakePHP is very poorly documented. I tried getting help on the IRC and all they tell me to do is use google. Google? You serious (that game from one of the helping developers), I mean if I want help I would read the manual, but what they got setup and called a manual is nothing like a manual. Its more like a unorganized beginner (newb) tutorial. Which is still all out of place.
I also hate the environment of the site tbh, is all “mean” spirited to the new comers. Its either you know it or you don’t, so I submit bug fixes and what not, they all got cancled, because they think they know everything there is to something its a shame. (Yet they keep saying contribute if you think want to make the site better), yeah contribute, how to contribute if they dont take any contributions into consideration.
Am also loving Codeigniter, have been singing it’s praises to anyone who’ll listen recently. Also very exciting is that Ellis Labs are moving their flagship product, Expression Engine, onto the Codeigniter codebase. So when they release v2.0 of Expression Engine, indirectly Codeigniter is going to have a whole lot of value added back into it!