STATE OF PLAY: PHP FRAMEWORKS IN 2008 Akash Mehta, Web Developer - http://bitmeta.org/ OSDC Sydney 2008

Brisbane-based web developer, author, student Experimenting with Rails before it was cool Worked on production code in Cake, CI, Zend About the Speaker

Brisbane-based web developer, author, student

Experimenting with Rails before it was cool

Worked on production code in Cake, CI, Zend

What is PHP?

What if we had a framework?

PHP Frameworks

Why?

PHP: A community in transition Late 90s Rasmus' personal home page. 2000 - 2004 Forums CMS Systems 2005 - ? Complex applications Web services

Late 90s

Rasmus' personal home page.

2000 - 2004

Forums

CMS Systems

2005 - ?

Complex applications

Web services

A fine line What’s a website? What’s a web application? What’s an application served over the web?

What’s a website?

What’s a web application?

What’s an application served over the web?

Basic LEGO Process Try a few pieces Push them together Experiment with combinations Monitor the overall result

Try a few pieces

Push them together

Experiment with combinations

Monitor the overall result

Advanced LEGO Process Diagram, visualise Plan components, and how they fit together Experiment on individual sections Build each module Plug them together

Diagram, visualise

Plan components, and how they fit together

Experiment on individual sections

Build each module

Plug them together

Basic PHP Process Create index file Create some libraries, maybe in a folder Extend, generalise. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Create index file

Create some libraries, maybe in a folder

Extend, generalise.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Advanced PHP Process Describe data model of problem domain Generate schema / model files Write data logic Write business logic Create presentation layer

Describe data model of problem domain

Generate schema / model files

Write data logic

Write business logic

Create presentation layer

With a helping hand…

Rails… Purpose-built, 37signals Commonplace tasks easier “out of the box” Convention over configuration Build system, dev server ActiveRecord: ORM

Purpose-built, 37signals

Commonplace tasks easier “out of the box”

Convention over configuration

Build system, dev server

ActiveRecord: ORM

State of play

Fast-forward to present day... Mingle2: CakePHP, dating site, 66 hours Mozilla Addons: 4M views/day, Cake Bug.gd: Integrated error search, CodeIgniter Fox Media: 50 IGN properties built on ZF Yahoo! Bookmarks: mostly Symfony

Mingle2: CakePHP, dating site, 66 hours

Mozilla Addons: 4M views/day, Cake

Bug.gd: Integrated error search, CodeIgniter

Fox Media: 50 IGN properties built on ZF

Yahoo! Bookmarks: mostly Symfony

Remora Mozilla Addons, CakePHP Massive database schema Master/slave DB replication Lussumo Vanilla integration Managed Team trapped in Whistler, Canada by rock slide Filed bug report (severity: blocking)

Mozilla Addons, CakePHP

Massive database schema

Master/slave DB replication

Lussumo Vanilla integration

Managed

Team trapped in Whistler, Canada by rock slide

Filed bug report (severity: blocking)

Available Frameworks Agavi Akelos PHP Framework Caffeine PHP CakePHP Canvas Framework CodeIgniter Drupal epesiBIM Horde IVY Framework Joomla! Mambo (software) MediaWiki Midgard and MidCOM MODx Orinoco Framework PHP on Trax PEAR PHP For Applications PHPNuke PRADO Qcodo QPHP Framework Seagull PHP Framework SilverStripe Simplicity PHP framework SWiZ Symfony Tigermouse TYPO3 XOOPS Zend Framework Zoop Framework

Agavi

Akelos PHP Framework

Caffeine PHP

CakePHP

Canvas Framework

CodeIgniter

Drupal

epesiBIM

Horde

IVY Framework

Joomla!

Mambo (software)

MediaWiki

Midgard and MidCOM

MODx

Orinoco Framework

PHP on Trax

PEAR

PHP For Applications

PHPNuke

PRADO

Qcodo

QPHP Framework

Seagull PHP Framework

SilverStripe

Simplicity PHP framework

SWiZ

Symfony

Tigermouse

TYPO3

XOOPS

Zend Framework

Zoop Framework

Visible Frameworks Cake Zend Framework Symfony CodeIgniter eZ Components

Cake

Zend Framework

Symfony

CodeIgniter

eZ Components

Visible Frameworks Cake Zend Framework Symfony CodeIgniter eZ Components

Cake

Zend Framework

Symfony

CodeIgniter

eZ Components

Common principles Code reuse Flexibility Functionality for common tasks Validation, DAL, Forms… Best practices, design patterns The “common ground” to agree on

Code reuse

Flexibility

Functionality for common tasks

Validation, DAL, Forms…

Best practices, design patterns

The “common ground” to agree on

Exploring the options

Full-stack or glue?

Features Architecture patterns – MVC Database – DALs, ORMs Il8n Unit Testing Code generation

Architecture patterns – MVC

Database – DALs, ORMs

Il8n

Unit Testing

Code generation

Design Patterns ActiveRecord, ORM MVC, Front Controller URL Routers/Dispatchers http://localhost/controller/action/param/param... Testable architecture

ActiveRecord, ORM

MVC, Front Controller

URL Routers/Dispatchers

http://localhost/controller/action/param/param...

Testable architecture

What’s all this magic? E.g. Cake: eval("class DboTest extends $class {…") Workarounds for compatibility Frameworks quietly manage deployment issues On-the-fly introspection What URL are we really hosted at? Magic: convention

E.g. Cake:

eval("class DboTest extends $class {…")

Workarounds for compatibility

Frameworks quietly manage deployment issues

On-the-fly introspection

What URL are we really hosted at?

Magic: convention

Foreigners Application-level schema definitions Database migrations Development servers

Application-level schema definitions

Database migrations

Development servers

from django.db import models class User(models.Model): username = models.CharField(max_length= 255 ) password = models.CharField(max_length= 255 ) name = models.CharField(max_length= 255 ) admin = models.BooleanField(default= False ) list_display = ( 'name' , 'admin' ) list_filter = [ 'admin' ] def __unicode__( self): return self.username $ python manage.py syncdb App-level schema definitions

from django.db import models

class User(models.Model):

username = models.CharField(max_length= 255 )

password = models.CharField(max_length= 255 )

name = models.CharField(max_length= 255 )

admin = models.BooleanField(default= False )

list_display = ( 'name' , 'admin' )

list_filter = [ 'admin' ]

def __unicode__( self):

return self.username

$ python manage.py syncdb

Automatic Admin

Automatic Admin

CakePHP Full-stack, MIT license Modelled after Rails PHP4/5 CRUD+ORM Single-LOC scaffolding CLI utility – bake Make simple apps quick

Full-stack, MIT license

Modelled after Rails

PHP4/5

CRUD+ORM

Single-LOC scaffolding

CLI utility – bake

Make simple apps quick

CakePHP Usage Scenarios Single-developer, small dev shops Building applications from scratch esp. complex databases, ORM layer. General audience open source projects

Single-developer, small dev shops

Building applications from scratch

esp. complex databases, ORM layer.

General audience open source projects

Zend Framework Glue, New BSD License No single paradigm PHP 5.1.4/5.2.3+ Zend QA, maintenance Loosely-coupled Lucene, AMF, GData Showcase current trends

Glue, New BSD License

No single paradigm

PHP 5.1.4/5.2.3+

Zend QA, maintenance

Loosely-coupled

Lucene, AMF, GData

Showcase current trends

Zend Framework Usage Scenarios Flexibility to suit existing approaches “ Enterprise” projects reuse components Mid-size teams use toolchain Integrates well with other frameworks Cake, CI; Just add Zend Manage developer turnover

Flexibility to suit existing approaches

“ Enterprise” projects reuse components

Mid-size teams use toolchain

Integrates well with other frameworks

Cake, CI; Just add Zend

Manage developer turnover

Symfony Full-stack, MIT license Incorporates other libraries Propel, Prado, Spyc, Pake Prototype, TinyMCE CLI Environment Admin generator Extremely configurable Corporate sponsor

Full-stack, MIT license

Incorporates other libraries

Propel, Prado, Spyc, Pake

Prototype, TinyMCE

CLI Environment

Admin generator

Extremely configurable

Corporate sponsor

Symfony Usage Scenarios Reasonably flexible for existing teams Steeper learning curve Complete stack “ Enterprise-context” – purpose-built Not so suited to individuals

Reasonably flexible for existing teams

Steeper learning curve

Complete stack

“ Enterprise-context” – purpose-built

Not so suited to individuals

CodeIgniter Full-stack, Apache/BSD Minimal, lightweight PHP 4/5 Rough MVC Rails features Validation, Caching Scaffolding, AR Optional templating Very flexible

Full-stack, Apache/BSD

Minimal, lightweight

PHP 4/5

Rough MVC

Rails features

Validation, Caching

Scaffolding, AR

Optional templating

Very flexible

CodeIgniter Usage Scenarios Individuals, small dev teams Low learning curve, excellent documentation Saleable software Broad environment compatibility, drop in place Distributed teams Popular among offshore developers

Individuals, small dev teams

Low learning curve, excellent documentation

Saleable software

Broad environment compatibility, drop in place

Distributed teams

Popular among offshore developers

Which is right for you? Don’t mind “magic” Clean slate Smaller team / individual Complex data Some control over server Less magic, need reliability Existing code feasible Mid-size+ team (inc. FOSS) Complex business logic Control over server Cake Zend

Don’t mind “magic”

Clean slate

Smaller team / individual

Complex data

Some control over server

Less magic, need reliability

Existing code feasible

Mid-size+ team (inc. FOSS)

Complex business logic

Control over server

Cake

Zend

Which is right for you? Happy with magic Clean slate Mid-size team Complex structure Some control over server Don’t need magic Clean slate Smaller team / individual Straightforward system No control over server Symfony CodeIgniter

Happy with magic

Clean slate

Mid-size team

Complex structure

Some control over server

Don’t need magic

Clean slate

Smaller team / individual

Straightforward system

No control over server

Symfony

CodeIgniter

Features Cake Zend Symfony CodeIgniter eZ Components Type Full-stack Glue / Full-stack Full-stack Glue / Full-stack Glue PHP 4 Yes No No Yes No Code Generation Yes No Yes No No MVC (Push) 1 Yes, AR Yes Yes Yes, AR No ORM Yes, AR Yes, Data Gateway Yes, Doctrine Yes, Plugin Yes AJAX 2 Yes, Prototype No Yes, Prototype Yes, Plugin No Il8n Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Scaffolding Yes No Yes Yes No Unit Testing Yes, Plugin Yes Yes Yes Yes DB Migrations Yes, Plugin Yes Yes, Plugin Yes, Plugin Yes Security Yes, ACL Yes, ACL Yes Yes Yes Template Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Validation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Caching Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Benchmarks

Baseline

<? php class Users extends Controller { function index () { $this -> load -> model ( 'User_model' , 'user' , TRUE ); $data = array ( 'users' => $this -> user -> db -> get ( 'users' )); $this -> load -> view ( 'users_index' , $data ); } } <? php class User_model extends Model { } < h1 > Users </ h1 > < table > < tr > < th > ID </ th > < th > Name </ th > < th > Bio </ th > </ tr > <? php foreach ( $users -> result_array () as $user ): ?> < tr > < td ><? = $user [ 'usernum' ] ?></ td > < td ><? = $user [ 'name' ] ?></ td > < td ><? = $user [ 'bio' ] ?></ td > </ tr > <? php endforeach ; ?> </ table > CodeIgniter

<? php

class Users extends Controller {

function index () {

$this -> load -> model ( 'User_model' , 'user' , TRUE );

$data = array ( 'users' => $this -> user -> db -> get ( 'users' ));

$this -> load -> view ( 'users_index' , $data );

}

}

<? php

class User_model extends Model {

}

< h1 > Users </ h1 >

< table >

< tr >

< th > ID </ th >

< th > Name </ th >

< th > Bio </ th >

</ tr >

<? php foreach ( $users -> result_array () as $user ): ?>

< tr >

< td ><? = $user [ 'usernum' ] ?></ td >

< td ><? = $user [ 'name' ] ?></ td >

< td ><? = $user [ 'bio' ] ?></ td >

</ tr >

<? php endforeach ; ?>

</ table >

CakePHP

Results ./ab –n 500 –c 10 http://localhost/frameworks/baseline.html /baseline.php /cake_.../users/ /codeigniter.../index.php/users/ Measure Baseline Vanilla PHP CodeIgniter CakePHP Requests/sec (mean) 1033.91 166.93 21.48 6.00 Time taken 0.48s 2.99s 23.28s 83.30s 50% reqs max time 15ms 15ms 436ms 936ms

Identical HTML (±50b), varying header lengths Cake: CPU bound (1.67 GHz Core Duo, 2GB RAM) CI: nearly CPU bound (~80%) Baseline: disk bound? 15ms system clock limitation Baseline HTML: “98%” reqs under 15ms Caching (APC, general) – File count? DB caches e.g. Cake Discussion

Identical HTML (±50b), varying header lengths

Cake: CPU bound (1.67 GHz Core Duo, 2GB RAM)

CI: nearly CPU bound (~80%)

Baseline: disk bound?

15ms system clock limitation

Baseline HTML: “98%” reqs under 15ms

Caching (APC, general) – File count?

DB caches e.g. Cake

Questions

CONTACT: SCYTHEREAL@BITMETA.ORG