Zend Framework - How does the tool for PHP programming work?

In applications used for or on websites, just like in software development, using a suitable framework is a common practice. This approach simplifies programming and significantly reduces the time involved by offering an extensive set of functions, allowing developers to focus on the relevant and unique tasks of their project. The Zend Framework, along with popular solutions such as Symfony or Laravel, is one of the most popular choices for programming in PHP. The software is used both in private settings and by professional and commercial providers - for example, in the development of Magento shop software.

What is the Zend Framework?

The Zend Framework serves as a tool to facilitate object-oriented programming in the PHP scripting language and minimise the time and effort required for software development. Like any framework, a key element is an extensive and versatile collection of packages and libraries for program routines, which can be modularly accessed and installed based on current and specific requirements. The free Community Edition does not include tools with graphical interfaces such as code editors; instead, the framework with its libraries and packages is integrated into an external development environment (IDE) such as Eclipse.

The first version was released in 2007, making the software one of the older and reputable projects in the rapidly changing industry. Until 2019, the significant responsibility for its funding, long-term support, and continuous development was held by the US-based company Zend Technologies, whose founders were directly involved in the continuation of PHP after its creator unexpectedly withdrew. However, in April 2019, the company announced in an official statement that its parent company, Rogue Wave Software, would cease support as a consequence of a new market strategy. Consequently, plans were immediately put in place for an orderly organizational restructuring, the end of commercial support, and the renaming of Zend to Laminas. Later that same year, the non-profit Linux Foundation took over the responsibility for the care and continuation of the non-commercial edition under its new name.

What are the distinctive features of the Zend Framework?

The complete installation of Zend comprises over 60 packages, which, with few exceptions and uncertainties, are clearly thematically organised. A special feature is the strict separation of components within the framework, with no dependencies between them. Therefore, it is fundamentally possible to install each package individually and independently if a project requires only specific elements for implementation.

Although theoretically possible to use PHP as a programming language for local and network-independent tasks, its practical application in professional software development is almost exclusively for web applications. For this reason, Zend also does not provide support for alternative purposes. It is important to note that it was fully and consistently designed and developed for object-oriented programming. While it may be possible in isolated cases to use it for other paradigms through targeted adjustments, it is not advisable and, under certain conditions, poses a significant risk to IT security that is difficult to detect and mitigate without extensive expertise.

Is the Zend Framework paid and what is its licensing model?

The Zend Framework itself uses the BSD open-source license from the University of Berkeley, allowing it to be used for free for private and commercial purposes, as long as the copyright notice is respected. The Zend source code is published, maintained, and developed on the Github platform and can be viewed by anyone interested without restrictions. In addition to the current and last version 3, older Zend installations are still actively used.

In addition to the framework transferred to the Linux Foundation in 2019, Zend Technologies also offers commercial software such as development environments or solutions for load balancing and encrypting PHP applications. These are subject to a proprietary and commercial license, the terms of which the company is free to define according to its own interests.

What are the advantages, disadvantages, and strengths of the Zend Framework?

In 2019, according to industry experts and statistics, the Zend Framework ranked behind the market leader Laravel and was roughly equivalent to Symfony and CodeIgniter as one of the four largest PHP frameworks. In recent years, its popularity has slowly declined, and the medium- to long-term development is unpredictable due to the organizational restructuring that began in 2019. Additionally, the Zend Framework has a solid and large core community that appreciates its advantages, including:

Advantages:

• Open system allowing easy integration of external codes and frameworks
• Good documentation and versatile support from a large community
• Modular, lean structure
• High functionality and numerous options
• Special routines for online commerce
• Support for Model-View-Controller (MVC) for software task division

Conversely, some users criticize disadvantages of Zend that other frameworks do not have, such as:

• Extensive and complex, requiring a long learning curve
• Versatility making it challenging for small, simple projects and basic websites
• Poor application performance
• Lack of clarity due to redundant solutions
• Primarily suitable for large projects and professional programmers
• Steep learning curve with high effort for beginners

The Zend Framework is exceptionally versatile and focuses on complex and professional tasks, requiring specific expertise. Therefore, for occasional use, simple tasks, and beginners, simpler and more straightforward alternatives like CakePHP, Yii, or Slim are recommended, offering quick successes with significantly less time and research.

Photo: Aleksey Nemiro from Pixabay