Best Php Framework: CodeIgniter Benefits

Despite many server-side technologies like Java, .NET, Golang, Node.js competing head-on with PHP, the latter continues to be the most adopted backend language for web development. PHP is extensively used by developers to build complex enterprise-level applications quickly and efficiently. The PHP frameworks such as CodeIgniter, Laravel, Yii, Symfony, etc. work as catalysts in the web application development process by expediting it and also offering better security along the way. In this blog, we will see why CodeIgniter is the ideal PHP framework for your web applications.

So, what makes CodeIgniter stand out from the rest of the PHP frameworks. We have already gone through what CodeIgniter is all about and its features and advantages in our previous blog.

Why Should You Choose CodeIgniter Among all the PHP Frameworks?

To give you a synopsis, CodeIgniter is a small, lightweight, mere 2 MB framework that works on MVC architecture under the hood. Many applications are known to have been built using CodeIgniter like Casio, Nissan, The Mail & Guardian, etc. The following are the reasons that make CodeIgniter a superior choice over the other PHP frameworks:

CodeIgniter Redefines Security

PHP in itself is as secure as any other server-side language. However, CodeIgniter enhances security with the help of XSS prevention. XSS means cross-site scripting. CodeIgniter comes with a cross-site scripting filter that prevents any hacker from hijacking the cookies for any malicious activity. The xss_clean() method is used to filter any data while submitting.

Hackers can attack the database using SQL queries. It is called SQL injection. In PHP, we use the mysql_real_escape_string() function as a step to prevent the SQL injection. Through CodeIgniter, we can prevent SQL injection in three ways:

Escaping queries: With the help of the $this->db->escape() function, which puts the single quotes around the data, we can escape the string data. Escaping essentially removes the ambiguity in queries.

Query binding: This is something CodeIgniter does without your intervention. The (?) in the select is replaced by the array values in the query and hence produces safe queries.

$sql = “SELECT * FROM any_table WHERE id = ? AND FirstName = ? AND LastName = ?”;

$this->db->query($sql, array(123, ‘Bob’, ‘Stewart’));

Active Record class: Active records is another way to generate safer queries.

<?php

$this->db->get_where(‘student_table’,array

(‘status’=> ‘active’,’Grade’ => ‘1A’));

?>

The other important factor that CodeIgniter ensures is hiding the errors from getting displayed to the users. The development environment can have the errors displayed for debugging, however, displaying this information to the end-users can compromise the website.

Configuring CodeIgniter

We already know that CodeIgniter has a smaller footprint with just 2MB of space. All you need to do is download CodeIgniter, unzip the files, install and you have it up and running.

• application/config/config.php (to configure your text editor)
• application/config/database.php (for database settings)

Lesser Coding

As such, PHP supports lesser coding. On top of it, fewer third-party libraries are required as with CodeIgniter, most of them are available.

Enables Quick Development

No other PHP framework has come closer to the speed of implementation and the execution time of the code as with CodeIgniter. CodeIgniter emphasizes lesser code as not many third-party integrations are required. CodeIgniter helps in the rapid building of applications within the shortest possible time.

Superior Documentation

The CodeIgniter documentation is superior to any other PHP framework despite being a small framework in itself. The developers can refer to it and take the development process to a next level of programming.

Error Management a Piece of Cake

Error management with CodeIgniter is worth mentioning. Any coding errors are instantly displayed the moment the code line is typed. It essentially means that any development delays due to errors are greatly reduced.

Stage-by-stage Testing

CodeIgniter enables stage by stage testing process which is a boon to the developers. They can test the functionality of the different stages and further progress in the development process accordingly.

MVC Architecture

As already mentioned, CodeIgniter works on the MVC model. It means that it has a streamlined approach to handling queries. All the user-related queries reach the Controller first. The query is placed with the Model, and the View renders the required results back to the user.

Templating in CodeIgniter

CodeIgniter enables templating solutions to the developers where the common features of the view are locked for all the pages in the application while the content specific to each page is subject to change.

Conclusion

CodeIgniter is a commendable PHP framework for rapidly developing outstanding web applications. While it primarily integrates with MySQL, MSSQL Server, and PostgreSQL, it offers its own Object Relational Mapping (ORM) tool. It’s important to note that some developers might prefer more comprehensive third-party ORMs for specific needs.

FAQs about the Benefits of CodeIgniter