CakePHP: An open-source and cross-platform PHP web framework

Rapid Application Development with CakePHP 

In this article, I have shared essential information of the CakePHP framework. This article contains an overview, brief history, features and Applications of CakePHP.

CakePHP is designed for rapid application development (RAD), modelled after the concepts of Ruby on Rails and CakePHP is the best option to build your vision fast and consistently. With CakePHP, you can build your idea in weeks instead of months. It’s available to download and use for free and it only takes 15 minutes to install.

CakePHP also reduces a large amount of code and uses convention over configuration, which allows the framework to make assumptions about your code. The MVC design removes the need to combine complex components or design an application architecture. You can have your first functionality running before lunch, with all the code generation tools included.

There are few barriers to entry. The simple syntax, common-sense design, application scaffolding and code generation tools of CakePHP will allow you to prototype and validate your idea fast, leaving your application ready for solid growth.

Model–view–controller

Model–view–controller (usually known as MVC) is a software design pattern commonly used for developing user interfaces that divide the related program logic into three interconnected elements. This is done to separate internal representations of information from the ways information is presented to and accepted from the user. This kind of pattern is used for designing the layout of the page.

1. Models: Used for all database interactions.
2. Views: Used for all output and displays.
3. Controllers: Used to control the application flow

Advantages

CakePHP is an open-source MVC framework. It makes developing, deploying and maintaining applications much easier. CakePHP has a number of libraries to reduce the overload of most common tasks.

The advantages of using CakePHP are listed below:-

1. Open Source
2. MVC Framework
3. Templating Engine
4. Caching Operations
5. Search Engine Friendly URLs
6. Easy CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) Database Interactions
7. Libraries and Helpers
8. Built-in Validation
9. Localisation
10. Email, Cookie, Security, Session, and Request Handling Component
11. View Helpers for AJAX, JavaScript, HTML Forms, etc

Benefits

1. Cake PHP is by far, one of the quickest web development platforms.
2. CakePHP allows developers to gain enhanced control over the database and SQL queries.
3. It helps users to develop robust web applications without losing their environment flexibility rapidly.
4. Support for PostgreSQL, SQLite, MySQL, PEAR-DB for ADODB, a database abstraction library.
5. Facilitates search Engine Friendly URLs
6. Provide features like input validation and sanitization tools which make the app secure.

Brief History:-

1. CakePHP was developed by Michal Tatarynowicz On April 15, 2005.
2. CakePHP published it under MIT license and opened it to the community developers.
3. In July 2005, Larry E Masters took over as the lead developer.
4. Version 1.0 was released in 2006.
5. Version 2 was released in 2011
6. Version 3 was released in 2014 which is completely revoke of earlier versions.
7. Version 3.3.3. Of CakePHP is released with many advanced features in September 2016.
8. Version 3.7.9 was released on June 19, 2019.
9. Version 3.9.0-RC2 was released on May 24, 2020.
10. Version 4.1.0-RC1 was released on May 31, 2020.
11. Version 4.1.0-RC2 was released on Jun 21, 2020.
12. Version 4.1.0 (Latest Version) was released on Jul 4, 2020.

Features Of CakePHP:-

1. Free to use

It is licensed under MIT license, so it is free to use.

2. Follows MVC Pattern

It uses Model-View-Controller which basically separates logic and presentation parts. The request comes to the controller, database action is performed through model and output is displayed through views.

But in normal PHP scripting, every page represents MVC which increases complexity.

3. Plugins

Plugins allow developers to package combinations of controllers, models, views and other classes for reuse in multiple applications and by other developers. Since CakePHP 3 it has been possible to install plugins using Composer.

4. CakePHP ORM

CakePHP ORM (object-relational mapping) is an advanced PHP hybrid of the active record pattern and the data mapper pattern, borrowing core concepts from both. The CakePHP ORM uses two primary object types, the table class representing database tables, and entity classes representing individual table rows.

5. Query builder

Query builder was introduced in CakePHP 3 as a companion to the new ORM. The query builder providers a set of classes and methods for programmatically building SQL queries instead of writing them by hand. The ORM makes extensive use of the query builder.

6. Routing and Reverse Routing

The CakePHP router allows for complex HTTP application routing, routing incoming requests to the correct controller and action. Reverse routing creates a relationship between routes and links, ensuring that links are always generated with the correct uniform resource locator.

7. Controllers

View Cells provide small, mini-controllers that can invoke view logic and render templates. These are ideal for creating small, reusable page components.

8. Version Control

Migrations provide version control for database schemas. These make it possible to ensure that changes to application logic and corresponding database changes are kept synchronised. This greatly simplifies both CakePHP application deployment, but also development in multi-developer teams. The CakePHP migration tool is based on the Phinx project.

9. Pagination

Automatic pagination to make it easy for developers to paginate result sets generated by the ORM or Query Builder.

10. Form builder and Validator

Form builder and validator allows for the programmatic generation of forms that are tied to the model layer for both data types and validation.

11. CakePHP Bake

CakePHP Bake is a tool for automatically generating application skeletons and boilerplate code. It uses a pre-existing database schema to infer the correct data relations and data types and using that to generate a full set of controllers, model object and view templates. It can generate a basic CRUD application with zero codings.

Applications:-

CakePHP used to create web-based applications. The main motive of this framework is to permits you to work in a well structured and rapid manner–without losing flexibility. It is widely used in developing dynamic websites and full-featured web applications.

It Provides

1. Request dispatcher with clean, custom URLs and routes
2. Built-in validation
3. Fast and flexible templating (PHP syntax, with helpers)
4. View Helpers for AJAX, JavaScript, HTML Forms and more
5. Email, Cookie, Security, Session, and Request Handling Components
6. Flexible ACL
7. Data Sanitization
8. Flexible Caching