Framework or CMS for php web development?

Question

Hi all,

I am a C++,Unix developer who has never dabbled in web development apart from creating simple HTML pages. I am going to change that and develop a website at a personal level soon. I am going to use php,mysql on a linux machine. In this regard I am browsing through relevant literature. The language isn't a problem but reading about CMS's and frameworks is confusing. And since I am new to web development, the number of CMS's and Frameworks are overwhelming.

? My question is do I need to have knowledge of one or more CMS' and/or Frameworks like Drupal,Joomla,Zend,Wordpress etc. If yes which is the best open source CMS' and/or Framework suggested for a newbie.

?? If the answer to the above question is yes, does the choice changes if one delves into the realms of commercial web development?

Note:- I will be developing on a Linux machine, using open source tools.

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Here is the list of stable PHP frameworks with comparison, features and more. You can easily decide for yourself.

I would personally go for CodeIgniter or Kohana (improved framework from CI but with less commnutiy support).

In terms of a CMS, I would strongly recommend, the award-winning, Joomla.

Answer 2

Joomla is definitely what you are looking for.

Open source, community driven, stable.

http://www.joomla.org/

Answer 3

My opinion suggests that you shouldn't use a CMS framework and create you own site and code from scratch. This will help the PHP learning code and give you complete control without the concern for licensing.

Try looking into simple PHP/MySQL tutorials and go from there. If you are already familiar with a coding or scripting language, PHP should be a breeze.

Answer 4

Personally, Drupal is the best of the generic website frameworks. Joomla is very complex (somewhere around 5000 files) and WordPress is only for blogs.

Unfortunately the only real way to test is to try it for yourself! Opinions here are almost always biased.

http://drupal.org/

Answer 5

For a first project, I would suggest eschewing frameworks or CMS stacks entirely. You might consider looking at some of the component libraries (the PEAR stuff, or possibly using Zend Framework components without the whole MVC/Zend_Application stack).

Frameworks (and to a greater degree, CMS systems like Joomla! or Wordpress) abstract away a lot of the fundamental issues related to web development. If you lean on a framework too early, you'll have a poor foundation, since there will be a lot of magic going on.

I would write a couple of non-trivial applications "by hand" to begin. You'll get familiar with the HTTP request/response model, form handling, proper input handling, etc. These kinds of fundamental concepts are important to grasp.

Once you're comfortable doing things by yourself, you can have a look at some of the development frameworks and CMSes that others have been recommending. With your newfound fundamental knowledge, you'll be in a better position to understand and evaluate all of them.

Answer 6

Have you toyed with the idea of using Wordpress as a CMS?

I use Wordpress to power my blog, and know two freelance web devs who typically use Wordpress with all of their clients. It's very easy to set up and use. I don't really use my blog as a way to gain experience in development as I am not a web developer, so I just want something that works. Wordpress is not the most developer-friendly system, especially if you're looking to make lots of customizations.

If you want to do a lot of coding, I would recommend Drupal. It allows you to do a lot more.