Frameworks for everyone

January 8th, 2014

I recently read an article about the ecosystem of PHP frameworks.

First, I don't understand why the author puts Aura and Symfony in different categories. Symfony can be used standalone components or as a full-stack framework. Additional components are very easy to install through Composer. The way to describe the frameworks in that article is inaccurate, which makes me wonder whether the author actually tried any of them.

Second, I don't like the suggestion that all frameworks are essentially the same. I have built mission-critical projects on top of a great many frameworks.  They are not the same. Otherwise, Aura would not have been relevant, given the other frameworks that are already out. Each framework, no matter how decoupled, has its own philosophy that may or may not work for you. Not to mention that each framework has a separate developer community, and its own set of bugs and limitations. You still need to shop around, read reviews, ask for opinions, etc.

Third, frameworks should not be viewed as some big scary monster, only reserved for those who have 15+ years of experience. I have coached many beginner developers on various frameworks with great success. A new framework is possibly the best learning experience for a developer.

By all means, go ahead and try a new framework.

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