Reasons for Symfony being the high performance PHP framework

Symphony, introduced in 2005, works as a tool to develop faster and better applications that are in perfect compliance with the business rules. One of the reasons why Symfony is preferred as a PHP framework is because it develops apps that are structured and easily upgradable and maintainable. Moreover, it is also a faster option as the generic models can be reused by the developers. This, in turn, saves times and the developers can focus on the other issues. However, it can be said in this regard that using a framework is not an absolute necessity but such a tool helps to develop applications better and quicker. If you are using a framework at all, then it is important that you pick the right one.

The 5 Most Relevant PHP Frameworks in 2013

Most developers use PHP frameworks to build robust web applications without putting extra time and effort. Each framework also comes with a set of classes and functions to help programmers in writing code in a quicker and structured way. Also, the PHP frameworks make it easier to implement specific design patterns. For instance, a programmer can use the Model-View-Control (MVC) architecture to separate the database-talking-code from the code related to the look and feel of the application.

As a developer has option to choose from a variety of frameworks, he often chooses the one that complements the specific requirements of the project. It is also important for a programmer to evaluate the pros and cons of each framework to take the best decision. However, each web application developer can avail some additional advantages by switching to some of the most popular PHP frameworks. So programmers must keep track of the most relevant PHP frameworks.

5 Most Relevant PHP Frameworks in 2013

Symfony: As free software, Symfony is popular among web developers across the world to build and maintain robust internet applications at a rapid pace. The framework is further effective in replacing the repetitive coding tasks with speed, flexibility and reusable components. Along with supporting the MVC system, Symfony also comes with a set of PHP code classes. A programmer also has option to use specific software building blocks like forms management, translation management and dependency injector.

Yii: The component based PHP framework is designed with the features and tools required to build web 2.0 applications. The combination of powerful caching system and features to work seamlessly with AJAX enables developers to build the application at a rapid pace. At the same time, Yii also enable programmers to use the MVC pattern to separate presentation and business logic. The framework also makes it easier for programmers to optimize the security of the website by availing features like output filtering, input validation, SQL injection and option to prevent cross-site scripting.

CakePHP: As an open source web application development framework, CakePHP is designed based on some of the widely used software design patterns and software engineering concepts. The framework is further written in PHP, and supports MVC architecture. CakePHP further makes it easier for programmers to set up the database, and start developing the website without using any complex XML or YAML files. Also, a programmer can avoid writing longer lines of code by availing features like database access, caching, translation, authentication and validation.

Laravel: Laravel is hugely popular among PHP developers as a classy and clean framework that does not require spaghetti coding. In addition to supporting a variety of databases including SQL Server, MySQL, SQLite and Postgres, the framework also allows programmers to create templates using the Blade templating engine. As Laravel is developed based on key Symfony components, it provides a solid foundation to the website through code that is reliable and well-tested. It is also powered by a composer that allows seamless integration of third-party applications into a website.

Zend: PHP programmers across the world use Zend as a PHP-based and object oriented web application development framework. The framework also has many open source contributors who are passionate about making coding easier. The framework is popular due to its effectiveness in building high-traffic websites and business-critical web applications at a rapid pace. It also allows users to secure the application by using a set of cryptographic and secure coding tools. At the same time, the programmers have option to adapt Zend according to the specific needs of the project, along with integrating seamlessly with other applications and frameworks.

The PHP frameworks are further being upgraded at regular intervals. The latest version of the framework also comes with a set of innovative tools and features to complement the current trends in php application development. So businesses must monitor the fluctuations in the popularity of these frameworks among PHP developers, because of the updates happening in the frameworks and choose one for their needs after precise validation and matching against their needs.

We provide php web development services. If you would like to speak to a certified php developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

How Outsourcing PHP Developers Will Save Time and Value?

Considering all the different categories of marketing techniques, internet technology is taking the population towards a magnanimous growth which has not been realized by any other form of marketing. Leveraging online resources for establishment of businesses proves immensely beneficial to owners as well as users. For instance, there are a number of websites which have been developed to render an exceptional shopping experience with a user friendly viewpoint. Present day business websites need to get revamped as well as republished to keep in line with the latest internet trends and technologies. With respect to this, an informative, appealing web design which is done across PHP or HTML platforms is appropriate for profit generation through a strong online presence.

Importance

PHP is among the most sought after scripting languages which a majority of website developers prefer to adopt. With the help of this programming language, the navigation and layout part of the sites can be quite effectively augmented. If you are looking for a web page layout that is dynamic, then PHP remains a very good choice. For the creation of custom web design solutions, almost every programmer prefers to make use of this scripting language. This language consists of user friendly applications, techniques as well as formats; it is convenient for programmers to leverage the applications in an effortless manner.

Benefits

In order to go for efficient web design, PHP, Java and ASP.NET are regarded as appropriate and important programming languages. With regards to the use of PHP, there are some specific benefits such as the following:

• Usability: With the help of this programming language, the programmer is able to experience exceptional usability as well as come up with professional web design solutions.
• Quick data processing: When a programmer is working with PHP, it enables him or her to process data in a rapid manner.
• Appropriately matched: This language is very good at getting along with well-accepted operating systems such as UNIX, Windows, and so on.
• Compatible: One of the striking advantages of making use of PHP programming language is the adaptability towards the HTML version.
• Cost: PHP development services are quite affordable and can be conveniently availed.

The growth of PHP

So far as PHP programmers are concerned, the demand is always experiencing a rise. The convenience and adaptability of this programming language enables the programmers to come up with custom web designs for the website requirements of their clients. Owing to this, expert programmers are largely acclaimed across the globe. So, a number of companies look forward to outsource developers from other countries. India is one of the most recognized countries in the domain of software as well as programming languages. The educational system and infrastructure of this country has been laying considerable focus on the significance of computer education. The scope for expansion in the field of knowledge enhancement in computer programming languages and software is growing at an equal rate. As a consequence of this, it has indeed become very convenient to outsource developers from this country. In addition to this, PHP services come at a very cost-effective rate in India. Considering these factors, outsourcing developers with lead to unique results and would also bring down the cost of formation of a development infrastructure comprising expert professionals.

Along with the other benefits, outsourcing PHP application development services go a long way in saving considerable amount of time with respect to the development of the website. Hence, more focus can be directed towards the different other marketing areas of the services. A team of professional developers can be hired from India in order to render the website development process convenient and swift.

We provide php web development services. If you would like to speak to a certified php developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

8 Rocking Tips for Scaling PHP to 25000 Concurrent Users Per Server

Scalability is the ability of a system, network or process to get enlarged or handle huge amounts of work in an effective manner. Web platforms or languages like PHP become scalable when it manages growing traffic with additional resources and without any software changes.

With the growing preference for PHP as the language used in web development, it would be rather necessary to look into few tips on scaling PHP to allow it serve large numbers of concurrent users per server. Things as these below would exponentially increase confidence in php development.

1. Clustering the Web Servers

The very first step towards scaling PHP needs to be taken in the form of moving the database to a separate server, configuration syncing (rysync, rmp/deb, svn), deploying application code and ZSCM.

2. Using the APC Feature of PHP

Enabling the APC feature is an essential way of boosting the performance of any particular website. This feature, therefore, plays an important role in scaling PHP as well as enabling it serve huge number of users.

3. Placing Things which are not PHP Requests on a CDN

Gone are the days when one would be required to get stuck at the origin server with static file requests. Serving the static files from the web server is no longer a necessity. Instead, everything is put on S3 while CloudFront is used as the CDN. However, the recent problems in CloudFront often make it a more feasible option to serve directly from S3.

4. Avoiding Connection to Other Servers in the PHP Code

Other servers such as the database or memcache servers should not be connected to unless it is either a dire necessity or there is no other way. A clear majority of the PHP web apps use the MySQL database for managing the backend session and the memcache tool for caching. During the flow of the execution, connecting to other servers lowers the efficiency quotient. For instance, it blocks and runs up the CPU apart from holding up the line often. It is here that using the APC is more recommended for storing data in PHP.

5. Using Varnish

Varnish is actually the Memcache/ModRewrite of web server caching. A majority of the pages on the website do not change. Putting Varnish on the web server makes a huge difference to the web app and this is quite visible right at the time of load testing.

6. Using a c1.xlarge

Upgrading to a c1.xlarge version is a welcome option as the m1.medium has a single CPU to handle all the requests. The c1.xlarge version had 8 CPU’s and even during the app test, one would get an apt-get install nmon, run nmon and at the same time, monitor the CPU. The server actually uses all the 8 cores to churn out the pages.

7. Using the Right Techniques

Whenever it comes to scaling PHP, the appropriate techniques must be implemented for the best results. These techniques include replication, functional separation as well as sharding. Other ways in which the scaling can be done effectively encompass using of schemaless databases such as MongoDB. Considering a column-oriented database like Infobright is more preferred for the analytics.

8. Optimizing Applications with the Desired Tools

Application optimization is intricately linked to the scaling of PHP and selecting the right tools is necessary for this. The tools that are generally used are Xdebug, Zend Server Code tracing and Profiling. Other efficient ways of optimization are monitoring the execution time, memory usage, designing intelligently and being aware of the respective hardware and its operation. The higher the knowledge, the better is the app created.

Once the scaling is carried out using the above- mentioned tips and techniques, the effectiveness of the app can be judged. Google Analytics helps in showing the numbers of seconds an average user spends on an average page.

We provide php application development services. If you would like to discuss with an certified php developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Laravel: Is It Really Clean and Classy?

Undoubtedly, one of the most popular languages used for web development is PHP, powering 20 million web domains. It is the best suited language which suffices the needs of all kinds of businesses. Developers enjoy using this open-source general-purpose scripting language. They choose PHP because it has a large and robust community where they are assured that their programming questions, issues and problems will have definite solutions from blogs, online forums and other expert opinion. In addition, frequent and regular updates in versions ensure that the bugs of the previous versions are removed and refined newer versions are born. PHP powers an absolutely vast, almost cosmic number of websites including mammoth websites like Wikipedia and Facebook!

How cool is that to learn and master over such languages where great sites depend on. One can blindly believe PHP can make their websites richer, customized and creative using PHP frameworks. PHP frameworks are a great way to increase programming efficiency, as per the requirements of the project. It is in the hands of the PHP programmers to choose a PHP framework that would work best for their project.

Let us discuss in detail about a new PHP framework – Laravel. Laravel gives a standardized platform for building web applications. It is young, promising, but it uses a lot of patterns & best practices one needs for its business use. Laravel has a well fabricated toolbox which allows to write less code, with less risk of error. And using this framework, developers can build websites with greater value and productivity, such as managing guiding principles, side effects, etc. A structured approach is followed using this framework, using best practices and standards where complex websites can be efficiently deployed. It is well said that Laravel is for web artisans and creative craftsman where wonderful applications can be built with less code and expressive syntax which gets easier for programmers who build complex apps with cleaner and understandable code.

Laravel is a starting to become a buzzword among professional developers and beginners as it builds with less repetitive code. Its high-level abstractions of common web development patterns, convenient shortcuts for frequent programming tasks, and clear conventions for problem solving makes it easy to use and maintain.

Features of PHP Laravel Framework:
 

• The MVC architecture: The model is the component which is responsible for communicating with the database. The View uses its own Blade templating engine which gives us clean and readable code. The controller retrieves all of the entries in the table to list them, information of a specific entry with a given id, deletes an entry with a given id, compose sa form to add a new entry and adds the new entry to the database and compose a message to confirm the addition.
• Routing system: It allows to create links to named routes. When creating links just use the route's name and Laravel will automatically insert the correct URI. This allows to change routes at a later time and Laravel will update all of the relevant links site-wide. Making it more clean and simple.
• Eloquent ORM: It is the most advanced PHP ActiveRecord implementation available. With the capacity to easily apply constraints to both relationships and nested eager-loading having control over data with all of the conveniences of ActiveRecord. Eloquent natively supports all of the methods from Laravel's Fluent query-builder.
• Unit Testing: Laravel comes with PHPUnit testing out of the box testing help. It is widely considered to have some of the most stable releases in the industry. Laravel also makes it easy for anyone to write unit-tests for their own code.
• Authentication: It has a basic library that need to configure before using. Having various lib functions and details which help many programmers to render clean and simple applications quickly.
• Caching: Laravel on the other hand supports those and also database tables and Redis. It also has filters.
• Configuration: Configuration is done via predefined arrays stored in config files which support multiple environments in both frameworks.
• Migrations: Database migrations are specific for Laravel, a concept borrow from Ruby on Rails which is versioning at the database level.
• Auto Pagination: Laravel's pagination system was designed to be easy to implement and easy to change. It's also important to note that just because Laravel can handle these things automatically.

Indeed with all the above features, Laravel framework is awesome and has a huge community which grows with the craze of the technology. It is becoming popular for its classic, unique architecture, where developers create their own infrastructure that is specifically designed for their application. This may be most beneficial to large projects such as content-management-systems.

Are you looking at using Laravel web application development framework to save time and effort on your next web development project? Finding top php development India companies can be a daunting task.

We provide PHP development services. Discuss with us today to know about the advantages of Laravel and how can it help reduce development time. To talk to one of our certified PHP developers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Dynamic Website with PHP Programming - the Need of the Hour

An increasing number of people are hooked to the internet nowadays, thanks to the modern technologies ushering in advancements in the form of handheld devices such as tablets and Smartphones. Using the web has now become so convenient that users can do it even when they are on the go. Given this scenario, it is crucial for businesses to build an effective identity across the web.

At present, majority of the web development languages are empowered to cater to the requisites of the modern tech-savvy users. PHP is widely acclaimed among all these languages because of its outstanding as well as distinguished features. Since it is a server side scripting language, it can generate dynamic pages wherein we do not require PHP programmers for writing pages. The pages can be written by end-users themselves.

Dynamic indicates that the website owner can go for real-time interaction with the users, thereby making the communication live as well as extremely productive. In the present times, almost every website is equipped with these features and organizations are demanding additional advancements so far as their websites are concerned. There are many options that one can avail from PHP application development companies. For example, in the domain of PHP e-commerce development, OsCommerce can be used for simple web stores while Magento can be leveraged for heavy, complex e-commerce sites. The same applies to development of CMS websites wherein Wordpress, Moodle, Joomla can be used for all kinds of CMS requirements.

One of the distinguished features of the language is that web developers are capable of integration of PHP code within any version of HTML. This makes room for leveraging the most updated features of HTML 5 together with PHP. Since it is highly flexible as a web development language, web programmers can utilize the various functionalities of the PHP framework to make life more convenient. The frameworks, besides helping in the organization of coding patterns providing outstanding architecture, also render speedier web development. Ultimately both clients as well as developers benefit through saving of time and money.

You can consider any kind of database when you are working with this programming, although MySQL is the most favored choice for web application programmers. When we are starting off with the dynamic website, several factors come into play such as web site design and development, site hosting, the website’s scalability, flexibility and lots more. Let us see in a nutshell why PHP programming is so preferred for developing fast loading, attractive and user-friendly websites.

• If you are considering customization of your website as per your business requirements, then PHP is the most cost-effective choice. Apart from being dependable and offering better performance, this programming language has the capability of delivering rapid and effortless apps.
• This powerful language has noteworthy flexibility. Dynamic websites are in great demand owing to their notable characteristics and using PHP during development of a dynamic site indeed delivers better security and usability.
• As a running multimedia technology, this programming language offers an upper hand. It does not depend on the external plug-ins for running of the programs. They are executed with the help of the servers; therefore nothing is required from the end customers. Moreover, development in the present times has revealed that PHP has evolved a lot, thereby fulfilling the needs of the clients to a much greater extent than was possible before.

These above-mentioned beneficial aspects of PHP together with a number of other advantages have made it a popular as well as valuable language for creation of dynamic websites. Its trustworthiness, better performance, versatility, effectiveness and faster speed, in comparison to other programming languages has made it widely acclaimed amongst manifold PHP programmers and web developers.

We provide PHP web development services. If you would like to hire certified PHP developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

The Best 10 Lightweight Frameworks that Aid PHP Development

The development process can be made speedier and more secure with the help of a framework. But, a developer, making use of a key framework, like Ruby on Rails, Zend Framework and Grails, must spend some time to be well-versed with the specific approach that each solution encompasses. To address some of the issues related to frameworks, the Rails community came up with alternate solutions like Sinatra and Camping, which continued to adopt the framework approach while at the same time minimizing time investment as well as resource requirements. Usually denoted as lightweight frameworks, such solutions have the potential to implement a large number of projects and is also prevalent in the PHP community. Here we bring to you some of the topmost lightweight frameworks that go in efficient PHP web development.

• DooPHP: It is perhaps the least intrusive and fastest MVC based lightweight PHP framework, coming with a host of impressive features such as authorization and authentication, a REST-based API and a front end and back end caching.
  
• Fat-Free: This is the smallest available PHP framework makes use of the features particular to PHP 5.3. The Core Pack comes with the optimum features that are involved in developing a website, such as HTML forms processor, router, template engine as well as development tools like unit testing suite and code profiler. There is also an additional Database Pack that lends capabilities for database interaction through the Fat-Free Axon ORM. Again, an Expansion Pack clubs several extensions together, incorporating a sitemap generator, thumbnail generator, a CAPTCHA generator and other beneficial features.
  
• Kohana: It started off in the form of a bifurcation of the well-liked CodeIgniter framework. But the 2.0 version involved a complete rewriting of codebase, that rendered exclusive support to PHP 5. Apart from this, Kohana claims to have a swift development cycle, convenient extensibility, a perceptive ORM interface and API consistency. Moreover, a module ecosystem is also growing up with around 60 projects presently existing on the site. Strikingly, a number of these projects tend to be ports of components available in Zend framework.
  
• Limonade: This is one of the most compact solutions available with respect to the quantity of code required to come up with something that is beneficial, with potent demos like the Wikir wiki.
  
• Recess: This framework offers a brilliant user experience, including a meticulously developed website containing good documentation and several tutorial-based options. Apart from providing support to typical features like ORM, custom routes and REST, Recess comes with several unique features like diagnostics, modular support and a GUI-oriented wizard known as Recess Tools that enables users to conveniently develop their primary Recess driven application.
  
• Orinoco: Another lightweight MVC framework, Orinoco offers a synchronized ORM solution and tailor-made routes.
  
• PHP MVC Framework with No-Framework: This PHP framework founded by Rasmus Lerdorf, is fast, secure and incorporates a sophisticated yet simple design.
  
• Simple PHP Framework: This is a practical approach for development of websites using PHP5 and follows the Active Record pattern. This framework is meant for individual programmers who can do without the cumbersome, large MVC frameworks and web design shops that are required to complete projects rapidly.
  
• Yii: Developed by Qiang Xue, Yii, in spite of being categorized as a lightweight framework, is loaded with enterprise-level features such as logging, functional testing integration, capability of code generation and management of website by means of a console interface. Yii has an active extension repository comprising 200 extensions.
  
• Zend Framework: Although weighing 31 MB and comprising a bundle of around 100 components, the Zend framework is designated as a lightweight framework because it facilitates the incorporation of standalone components into custom web applications.

Keeping in line with the community’s trends, PHP developers worldwide are capable of offering a range of solutions to users. With the plethora of possibilities available, certainly one of the above-mentioned frameworks will find favor with you!

We provide PHP development services. To hire PHP developer from us or to know more about our 100% certified PHP development team, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

4 Dynamic PHP Frameworks for E-commerce Development

E-commerce stands for Electronic Commerce is the latest shopping cart solutions, inventory and order management solutions and e-commerce web solutions which are duly customized to users' requirements. It is most popular online shopping trend going on the web. It is the best sales tool at your fingertips. Through Smartphone you can shop anywhere at anytime. Building an E-commerce store online drives more business today. It encompasses a wide variety of information gathered from e-business planning and prospecting.

Why an online store?

Nowadays online stores transform from small customer bases to much larger and more targeted business. It builds confidence in keeping customer relationships, promoting sales and builds effective and attractive website design which pulls more users. The website is updated with fresh and latest information which is a strong reason to keep customer visits often. Online stores are always on toes for their customers thus remain up to date with information showcasing their latest products in catalog fashion, manage inventory and shipping, as well as take payments in real-time.

Importance of Online store

E-commerce has grown in importance as companies have adopted and grown be it consumer based retail sites, auction or music sites, to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations. It is faster, cheaper and more convenient where suppliers and potential customers are brought together to conduct mutually beneficial trade. Some classic features have made E-commerce websites more demanding and successful. It stands today on the top-of-the-line online platform, brings customized solution, search engine optimization friendly. Provides a customized dashboard, customized shopping cart and checkout process. Brings expansion and growth in business. And provides excellent services in order processing and shipping management.

Dynamic PHP Frameworks

Frameworks came to existence in 2004, when they offered themselves as a large scope of the solution to build robust applications. Most of the popular PHP frameworks are powering rich customized websites based around the MVC design methodology. Ruby on Rails MVC framework launched around mid-2004 which has been an inspiration for many other PHP frameworks.

PHP has a wider range of frameworks, where WordPress and Drupal are considered best for content management system development, CakePHP and Zend are for website development and Magento, X-Cart , osCommerce and Zen Cart are the best ones for E-commerce solutions. This has triggered immense demand for PHP web development. E-Commerce has become an important tool for businesses worldwide where gaming, retail and travel are the region's top e-commerce segments. Some of the most popular E-commerce PHP Frameworks are:

• Magento: It is a popular Zend framework launched on March 31, 2008. It is widely adopted from small retailer to large multinational businesses and used by 150,000 sites worldwide. It is a unique E-commerce platform having multi-store and multi-site functionality feature, excellent product categorization, shopper filtering and flexible transaction options. It is built on the MVC framework and its searching cart feature is one of the most current in the marketplace. It assists you in developing a great buying cart website in quicker time.

• X-Cart: is another open-source E-commerce solution produces millions of sales to millions of online customers every day. It gives almost all the functionalities which an e-store demand. They come with great design templates, build customized app with simple PHP code and WYSIWYG user interface. Quickly promotes its websites on Facebook leveraging social media power. It provides a user friendly environment having 25,000 online stores around the world.

• OS commerce: is an online store-management software started in March 2000 in Germany. Over 260,000 store owners, developers and service providers work at every stage of running your online store and business. There are more than 7,000 free Add-Ons that are uploaded by the community to use and customize online store. Having 12,800 registered sites, 271,988 community members and 1,545,459 forum postings. A wide range of out-of-the-box features allows online store setup quickly with ease and is readily available as an Open Source web based solution.

• ZenCart: is a PHP based framework, branched from osCommerce as a separate project in 2003. It provides excellent online shopping management system. Easy-to-setup and runs as a full-featured self-hosted online store. It ensures website to look great and showcases their products in a sophisticated way pulling more customers. Its extensive features makes it all the more popular - easy installation, multiple customer modes, unlimited category depth, multiple sales and discounts, unlimited extra pages, multiple payment options, multiple shipping options, discount coupons, gift certificates, multiple language and provides a completely customized package for building richer and advanced applications.

Using these PHP frameworks one can scale up speed in project development and make it easier for users to create stable, reliable, rich, customized and modern web applications. Around 20 million websites around the globe including the big shots like Facebook, Yahoo and every Magento store, run on this framework and PHP is one of the extensively used technologies worldwide. PHP frameworks are tailored to provide online customers with the best shopping experience ever with super exciting features catering to your best business needs.

We provide PHP development services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our expert PHP development team, please visit Mindfire Solutions.