The Zend Framework: A PHP Web Application Toolkit
PHP is probably still the leader when it comes to server-side scripting and programming, although recently Ruby on Rails has started to give it a run for its money. Ruby on Rails provides a fast, easy way to get a web application written, and it benefits from using an MVC aritecture. Well now there’s a toolkit in development called the Zend Framework that aims to bring these advantages to PHP. IBM developerWorks has a good article giving an introduction to the Zend Framework.
The article describes two problems with Ruby on Rails that Zend can fix. First, most web developers know PHP, but many don’t know Ruby, so using Ruby on Rails would require learning a new programming language. Second, a lot of hosting providers still don’t allow for Ruby on Rails, so using it would require changing providers. Another benefit I can see is that many companies insist on PHP being used for certain applications, and might dismiss the idea of Ruby on Rails outright if they haven’t heard of it.
This isn’t to say that Zend would only be used as a second-rate version of Ruby on Rails. PHP is a good language in its own right, and for some applications its be a better choice than Ruby. However it’s worth noting that Ruby on Rails is more than just a framework. It also provides code generation an debugging tools that can make development a lot easier. But the next time you need to create a web application using PHP, you should definitely consider using Zend.
