Php Meetup Feb 09 - Php Cms Vs Frameworks

PHP CMS vs PHP Frameworks When to use any of them?

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CMS vs Frameworks • Joomla • Drupal • Wordpress • TikiWiki

• Zend Framework • CakePHP • Symfony • Code Ignitor Ph.P

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Considerations •

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Complexity of Project

• • •

Features Design Scale

Development methodology

•

How much mid-course adjustments can you afford to make?

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Considerations •

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Make-up of Development Team

• • •

Single or Multiple members Functional roles Familiarity with CMS / Framework

Timeline

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Characteristics •

Open Source CMS

• • •

Basic set of functionalities

•

Themes to customise look & feel

Extensions required to enhance app Standard look & feel with fixed positioning of design elements

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Characteristics •

Open Source CMS works best when:

• • •

Project requirements relatively straight forward Existing extensions can do the job Custom themes can conform to CMS’s basic structure

• “Square Peg in a Square World” Ph.P

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But... •

Things start to fall apart when:

• • • •

“I need function Y which is not in Extension Z” “Can add category to this listing?” “The design is too square-ish.” “Can don’t have this thing here?”

• Which means... Ph.P

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What they really mean •

Things start to fall apart when:

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You’ll need to mod Extension Z to include Function Y (or new design element).

•

You’ll need to mod the core system to include the new function.

•

You’ll need to mod the design which may be intertwined with the core system

• “Square Peg in a Circular World” Ph.P

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Options Available • • •

Modify the codes

•

Issues with future upgrades

Submit Bug Fix / Feature Request to extension / core system developers

•

Long wait...

Create your own extensions

• •

DIY or Outsource Shorter wait & more control, but some restrictions still apply Ph.P

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Time to Mod / Hack = $$$$ Ph.P

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Characteristics •

Open Source Framework

• •

Basic set of functionalities

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Standard look & feel (scaffold) or customise almost anything

•

Conforms to your designs and requirements

Full control over how the site is put together (freeform & far more flexible)

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Characteristics

• Open Source Framework

• Handles all the primary functions (eg. connecting to database, parsing data, processing forms)

• Spend more time concentrating on the

business-specific problem, rather than on the "plumbing" code behind it.

• Limit choices during development, so it

increases productivity, especially in large and complex systems.

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Characteristics •

Open Source Framework

• • • •

Patterns

• •

Model-View-Controller Factory

Object Oriented Don’t Repeat Yourself Convention over Configuration

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Characteristics •

Open Source Framework works best when:

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Project requirements is complex & need maximum flexibility

• • •

Flexible design and fully customised front-end Team-friendly & minimal documentation Focus on User Interface / Experience

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But... •

The down-side of Frameworks:

• • •

Lower QC over end-product Man-hours for updates & upgrades Can be inflexible if not planned properly, resulting in total rewrite

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Conclusion • • • •

Evaluate each project’s needs Know your tools Build your foundation & library of reusable codes Plan properly, but change is inevitable

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