Review: CodeIgniter leads to productivity increase

If you are a developer who is looking for a PHP framework which carries a low footprint, you might want to consider CodeIgniter.

Like most things, frameworks come down to performance, and CodeIgniter is able to achieve results better than many of its competitors with a small footprint. The third edition of the programme is just a 2MB download, and that includes the user guide.

Thankfully, the documentation which accompanies the download is clear and easy to understand. It contains an introduction to CodeIgniter, as well as a tutorial and some really useful how-to guides which give a great practical reference point. Also included are the different components which are part of the framework.

We found that CodeIgniter did lead to an increase in productivity, and despite its lean framework has enough in its locker to offer a performance boost, as well as offering additional functionality which makes it compatible with plug ins and add ons.

When it comes to hosting platforms, CodeIgniter 3 is agreeable with many dedicated and shared options, and it supports the MySQL database.

Another welcome feature is the absence of any coding rules which are restrictive in their nature, allowing you to use your own conventions when it comes to naming and coding. The only possible exceptions might be in the case of classname conflicts. The result is a framework which puts power in the hands of the user.

You will encounter no huge monolithic libraries with CodeIgniter 3, and for those that recognise how time equals money, the fact that next to no configuration is needed will be a benefit. There is a common sense structure to the configuration – models go in the ‘models’ folder for instance – and there is also no need for template language, as CodeIgniter includes a straightforward template tool and plug ins are available for many template engines.

To conclude, CodeIgniter 3 is likely to appeal both to beginners and those who are seeking an uncomplicated, elegant framework which doesn’t require many website design and development tips. It is a framework which has clearly set out to make things easier for developers – always a bonus – and for this reason it looks set to retain its popularity.