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Which PHP5 Framework is Your Favorite?
matt_j_99 asks: "With all the talk about Ruby on Rails, I've been thinking about PHP frameworks. Ruby on Rails looks pretty cool, but frankly, I don't want to learn a new language. It seems that with all the slashdot discussion about RoR, somebody always makes the valid point that PHP is not a framework. But with PHP5's, Object Oriented features, a standard framework might emerge. Prado, Carthag, BlueShoes, and PHITE all seem like interesting frameworks. What PHP frameworks have you used in your applications? What were the pros and cons of each? Which framework do you think will have the best chance of long-term viability and maintenance?"
but frankly, I don't want to learn a new language
That's the worst thing that can happen to a professional (assuming you are one): not willing to learn new things. I strongly recommend you to learn Ruby, "it puts the fun back on programming", you won't regret.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it
Listen, I've been programming PHP since version 3. I've been writing Perl since.. well since before some of you have been born. I've been working in Lisp and C since before that!
The secret to Ruby on Rails is RUBY. You just can't do that kind of stuff in PHP. PHP is pretty pathetic once you get beyond the basics. It is truly a language for the "bottom 95%" as I call it. PHP has at least the following flaws:
* poor metaprogramming: try creating an anonymous function in PHP, it's just a STRING! Yuck. Closures? Never heard of 'em. Try writing a one-liner in PHP that sorts a list of objects. Impossible.
* global variables for session, cookies, etc. Makes unit-testing a bitch!
* no "finally" clause on exceptions. WTF? Built-in functions don't raise exceptions. WTF?
* no way to refactor object fields. Yes you can use "__get/__set" but those "fake" fields don't work in every place a regular field works. WTF? In Ruby everything is a method, there are no fields, refactoring is a breeze.
* No "mixins".. I can't write a method and then stick it into multiple classes. Not even with include().
* Exposes variables vs. variable references. I thought PHP5 would get rid of "&" forever. I was wrong.
Now Ruby ain't Lisp, that's for sure. But I'd rather stick forks in my eyes than programming in PHP again.
Anyway, a good programmer has no problem learning a new language. It'll take you longer to learn the framework than the language. Ruby is simple and clean and VERY consistent from top to bottom, give it a try.