Pros and cons of using a PHP framework: Is it right for you?

From routing HTTP requests to accessing databases and rendering user interfaces, most web applications have a lot in common with each other. Many of them allow visitors to log in, and it's hard to imagine a web application without email delivery.

Software frameworks are one way to put this observation into action.

By extracting common characteristics and the underlying architecture of an application and bundling them into a collection of reusable templates and libraries, frameworks allow developers to focus on what makes their projects stand out.

In fact, you are already using a temporary framework when you use a previous project as a template instead of starting from scratch. Popular PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Yii, or Symfony take this approach to its logical conclusion by focusing on designing the architecture and tooling of the framework and then making it available to other developers to use in their projects.

But is using a framework always the best approach? Or does it sometimes make sense to just use pure PHP and start from scratch?

To answer this question, in this tutorial, we will look at five advantages and disadvantages of using PHP frameworks.

Five advantages of using PHP framework

Let’s first look at how using a PHP framework can help you in application development.

1. Rapid development

In today's startup world, which is based on experimentation, rapid prototyping, and getting a minimum viable product out into the world as quickly as possible, the speed of development can make or break your business.

Using a PHP framework is one way to meet this requirement.

A well-designed PHP framework selects the best implementations of common problems from the open source community and builds on them to provide you with an application architecture (in most cases, based on the model-view-controller pattern )) to guide your development.

This way, you don’t have to spend time planning your application’s architecture and evaluating the various libraries available, but instead start with a fully functional template and directly build functionality specific to your application. Many PHP frameworks also come with command line tools that you can use to generate code and save even more valuable development time.

2. Frameworks make your applications more secure

While speeding up development, frameworks also make you safer: you work quickly, but not by using quick and dirty solutions, but by using the best and proven Practice and ready-made components to implement.

The solutions included in the Modern PHP Framework are continuously tested, peer-reviewed, and validated by multiple developers using the framework. Because the framework is open source, security issues and other issues you might overlook in proprietary code are quickly noticed and fixed.

That said, it's important to remember that using a framework doesn't mean you can forget all about security and good development practices. Make sure you're using the framework as intended, keeping it updated, and doing your part in things like parameter validation - it's not that difficult with the framework's tools.

3. Maintenance is more convenient

By providing a sound structure for your applications and pushing you to adopt software development best practices and patterns, PHP frameworks guide you in writing code that is loosely coupled and has as little duplication as possible. In other words, it is easy to read, test, maintain and further develop.

Almost all popular PHP frameworks today are object-oriented and developed with automated testing or even test-driven development in mind.

You still need to do your part. But rather than starting from scratch, it certainly helps to have a framework and its documentation to remind you of these concepts and push you to use them.

Another way to use a framework to make application maintenance easier is through its shared components. Because framework libraries and helpers are developed independently of your application, you can offload much of the maintenance of your application to the framework developers.

In a way, it's like having a team of developers working for you for free!

4. Stronger teamwork

As a developer, you are familiar with your classes and functions and can use them easily. But when you bring in team members, things change.

Without knowledge of your design decisions and complete documentation (let's face it: especially in the world of rapid development, documentation is often an afterthought), they will find it difficult to understand your application code .

Using a PHP framework will help new developers start working on projects more easily. They are most likely already familiar with the framework and can focus all their attention on understanding the details of the application. Even if the framework is new to them, documentation, online tutorials, and familiar design patterns will help them get up to speed with minimal effort.

In the meantime, you can continue developing your application instead of teaching developers your way of thinking.

5. The community is always at your service

Finally, a significant benefit of using PHP frameworks comes from the active developer and user communities that gather around them. ​​p>

All major frameworks attract open source contributors who, in addition to working on the framework itself, develop other widgets, libraries, and helper components for others to include in their applications. Other contributors write tutorials and books or create videos explaining the details of how they use the framework in real-world projects.

As part of this type of developer community, you will grow as a developer, learn quickly and apply what you learn to application development.

If you wish, you can give back and participate in open source projects in any way that feels natural and fulfilling to you.

Five Disadvantages of Using PHP Framework

Now that we’ve seen how using a PHP framework can help you in development, let’s take a look at its disadvantages and why sometimes not using a PHP framework might be a better option.

1. Execution is slower

Compared to running a simple PHP script, PHP frameworks always add complexity and overhead in the form of classes and libraries that are loaded before calling the code. For fast scripts and APIs with a limited feature set that need to run quickly, this difference can be significant.

In most web applications, however, the efficiency impact of a framework depends more on how you use it than on the framework itself. For example, while the Active Record implementation is a convenient way to access a database, there is no point in using it where multiple rows in the database must be processed simultaneously.

So it comes down to understanding the needs of the application but not allowing yourself to get hung up on a specific way of using it. Sometimes, even when using a framework, it makes sense to sidestep and write some code at a lower level of abstraction.

2. Generic solutions to specific problems

The idea of ​​the PHP framework is to be a universal solution to the repetitive needs that most developers will encounter when developing web applications. But where do we draw the line between what is included in the framework and what is left to the application (or third-party add-on) to implement?

According to some developers, this is where many frameworks go wrong.

Rasmus Lerdorf, the creator of PHP, once said:

"Nobody has a universal problem. Everyone has a very specific problem they want to solve. A generic framework, while it can solve that problem, usually does it in a way that gets you a lot of other stuff you don't need." way to resolve it. Eventually every request will be completed."

So if you decide to use a framework, be sure to choose one that suits your application's needs.

While most frameworks are based on lazy loading and will not include parts of the framework that are not used by the application, the added complexity still exists, resulting in unnecessary modifications when removing functionality that comes with the framework, but you don't need to of.

3. Frameworks take time to learn and master

While a PHP framework pushes you to write great code, it doesn't guarantee that it will happen. If you use a framework without understanding it and the design patterns behind it, you're likely to end up with a big, structured mess.

For people who are already familiar with these design principles from other frameworks or projects, the learning curve will be relatively short. For less experienced developers, the learning curve will be longer. Not to mention mastering the framework.

So if you are in a hurry and your project is small, it may not be the time to start learning a new framework. Instead, consider using a microframework or even starting from scratch and using some libraries you're familiar with.

Then, take the time to learn a full-blown PHP framework when your schedule allows.

4. Limited visibility and control

Using software frameworks can take your application development to a higher level of abstraction. This is by design and usually a good thing. However, it's good to realize that it can also cause problems.

While many parts of the framework template require customization, the core of the framework and its libraries are like a black box that you can work with but not have much control over. You can suggest improvements, but it is ultimately the developers of the framework who decide whether to include the change.

Additionally, if you start using a framework before fully understanding the PHP language itself, you may confuse the features of the framework with the features of the language, and end up using the features of the framework even if pure PHP is a better choice .

5. The framework introduces external dependencies

A framework is always an external dependency of your application - code controlled by others outside of you and your team. While this isn't usually a problem, it's worth considering if the software you're building is a core part of your business.

Ask yourself what you would do if development of the framework was abandoned or went in a direction you didn't want to follow.

A good way to reduce this risk is to use reliable, popular frameworks with active developer and user communities. But even so, it's worth thinking about this: Are the benefits of using a framework enough to be worth the risk?

in conclusion

Modern PHP framework is a powerful tool in a software developer’s toolbox: it can save you a lot of time and effort and give you peace of mind when developing PHP applications. Remember, this should not replace learning core PHP first!

The key to the above conclusion, however, is choosing the right tool for the job. Every project is different, and even a framework that works for one project may not be a good fit for the next. Aim for simplicity and ask yourself if a full-blown framework is suitable for the project, or if using a micro-framework like Lumen is a better solution.

Starting from scratch using plain PHP is rarely the best option, but it's also worth considering when developing a very simple application (such as a website without much interactivity) - and remember, you can always pass Use Composer's selection to extend it with libraries of your choice.

When choosing a framework, make sure the framework you choose is actively developed and supported and follows good software engineering practices. This way, you ensure that the underlying framework doesn't die quietly, future-proofing your application.

Finally, even if you decide not to use one, it's a good idea to become familiar with one or more modern PHP frameworks. Studying them is a great way to learn and improve your software development skills, and help you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of PHP development.

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