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A server side language like PHP(Hypertext Preprocessor) has, these days, grown much in demand among web developers. PHP is utilized to develop dynamic websites and real-time web applications, having an high-end user interface. Not only that, this scripting language, which is easy to learn, is also cost effective. There are numerous frameworks for PHP, which help the developers in many ways. Read on further to know why frameworks are used and which framework is best!

Frameworks for PHP

Why use a framework? Well, frameworks come with many advantages. They offer libraries and helpers, ease of change of databases, unit testing, form generation, easy upgradability and maintainability, security, active communities, need for a lesser code and performance tools that assist in caching, profiling, benchmarks, etc. Also, a framework for PHP, which follows the MVC pattern, offers extra functionality.

With frameworks having so much to offer to the developers, the doubt, they are now struck with is, which framework is best. Though there are many frameworks for PHP users, here in this article, let us compare Laravel and CakePHP, the two most popular frameworks.

The best framework: Laravel or CakePHP

Ask any PHP developer which is the best framework of these two, you would get diverse responses. Because the choice of the framework is subjective, depending on the requirements of the web developer. Going purely the ranking, it is the Laravel that is most sought after. However, CakePHP has its own exclusive set of features, making it a wonderful framework. That being said, let us make some study on both the frameworks.

  • CakePHP has an incredible built-in ORM, and building queries is very easier and simpler. Much like CakePHP, Laravel also offers eloquent ORM that makes database relations simple.
  • When compared to Laravel, CakePHP comes with robust plugins, using which, the code can be reused very easily, and the app folder can be kept clean. Also, class inheritances of CakePHP are highly understandable.
  • The foremost reason why Laravel is the best framework and has an edge over other frameworks is that it is very configurable, and has an inbuilt, fast and extendable blade template engine, making it easier for Laravel developers to add the features with no need of hacking the core.
  • Better peer support can be expected by developers who use CakePHP. By virtue of being in existence for a longer period than Laravel, obviously, it has a wide community, helping the peers to find answers and solutions to their queries. Developers can submit questions to the CakePHP website.
  • Amongst some major reasons to choose CakePHP as the framework, the primary one is it's flexible and has strong reverse routing. It helps developers to easily maintain links in an application. To elaborate on that, developers are entitled to adjust the URL structure at one place rather than searching for each calling of the change. This feature is really a wonderful time saver.
  • With respect to ease of use, Laravel is the winner. Its ease of use is attributed to its easy to use Artisan command-line- interface, easy readability and scope for developer's creativity.
  • Pagination in Laravel is very easier, as it generates clever "range" of links. In Laravel, some of the methods used to access pagination are – currentpage, lastpage, perpage, url and total.
  • While CakePHP is more famous with blog sites, Laravel, on the other hand, is ideal for bigger projects and also for projects that need continuous maintenance even after they are launched.

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