What would PHP frameworks be for really? (such as codeigniter)

[oni-kun]

I've never actually looked into it, But upon looking at code and tutorials they look overly complex to perform simple tasks. Were they meant to do 'large' scale projects faster? Because a lot of the database framework and whatnot I can easily match by hand..

 

CodeIgniter I've heard a lot about, But I'm not sure if I should really use it, any thoughts on pros and cons?

[oni-kun]

Bleh, got the answer googling, Doesn't seem the best for simple tasks yeah.

[Virvo]

PHP frameworks are just a library of scripts and classes that are supposed to provide a standardized way of coding, as well as providing design patterns that adhere to best practices.

 

Generally they add a bit of overhead, and so a not advised for very small projects.

[HGeneAnthony]

Most frameworks make it very easy to program according to the Model, View, Controller design pattern.  This alone makes them worth a lot.  They also offer a lot of helpers for common tasks that are undefined in PHP like creating pagination.  They also offer more advanced features for things like sessions, post variables, etc.  They will cut down development time and more importantly make it easier to maintain your program.  Most frameworks are designed to give PHP users some of the best features of Ruby on Rails, which is supposedly insanely powerful.

[veridicus]

There are many pros and cons to frameworks, such as:

* Code reuse - no need to recreate what's already been written and tested

* Promoting code organization and best practices

* "Free" upgrades (a framework may later get new features, which you then get for free in your apps that use it)

* Performance can sometimes suffer if the framework is too generalized

* Learning curve can be large.

 

In my experience, the larger the project the more benefit to using a good framework.  It's important to choose the right framework for the project.