Introduction to Zend Framework

One of the most popular open source frameworks used for development of web applications and services is Zend framework. This framework is based on PHP 5. The reason why Zend framework is able to provide the kind of efficacy that it is known for providing is that is completely based on object oriented code. It is the uniqueness of its component structure that makes Zend effective and effectual.

The different components of the Zend framework are coupled in such a manner that they are loosely coupled and the dependencies of the components on each other are rather few. It is because of this loosely coupled nature that the components can be used independently and at will by the developer.

It is this power that Zend framework gives its developer that makes it the successful and effective framework that it is. It has an extensive library that can be used for development of robust and high performance implementations of MVC. In addition to this, this framework allows you to use data abstraction, which is very simple to use. HTML forms rendering, filtering and filtering can be easily implemented using the forms component. This functionality can be easily used for developing a simple and usable object oriented interface. There are dedicated components available for implementation of authorization and authentication.

In addition to these, there are several other client libraries that can be used by developers to implement custom applications and functionality. The beauty of using this framework is that the use of the Zend component framework reduces the time required for development considerably. One of the fundamental reasons why Zend Framework is able to provide this kind of functionality is because of the support of the Zend community that cumulatively works towards improving the framework.

Zend Framework is the framework of choice for development of clean applications. In addition to this, the framework also allows the use of layouts and databases, in addition to making the use of modular directory structure. The latest version of the Zend Framework is Zend Framework 2. The reasons why Zend framework is used are –

• Service oriented architecture
• The developer community that backs the development of the Zend framework is extensive and strong.
• The certifications and trainings are available online and can be easily accessed.
• The framework is regularly tested and updated.
• The USP of this framework is that you can use its components at will. This gives the developer the freedom to use the framework in the manner that he or she desires.
• The design patterns are extremely consistent because of the use of OOP concepts.
• The focus of the framework is security and there are several tools that are included in its library for implementation of the same.
• The development is test-driven.
• The applications that based on the framework are highly scalable.

Now that you are aware about the basics of the Zend Framework, you can play around with it. The word is ‘experiment’! You just have to get acquainted to the functionalities that the framework can offer and how the same can be implemented. You can have fun with databases and spice up your applications by creation and extension of custom helpers. As you become familiar with it, it shall be easier for you to transition from the basic to the advanced version.