New Features in PHP 6.0

“PHP is the only oldest language that is fully dedicated to the web domain. It has nothing to do with others and it does what it is intended for. With every passing version, there is certain modification, addition and removal of features as per the demands of the industry and PHP does it in a seamless manner. This time, the industry is flooded with many assumptions, predictions and theories to find their dream land PHP v6. It is one of the highly anticipated versions of PHP; though, many said that PHP will directly release PHP7 version, but now it comes with PHP6 with some enhanced features. The release of PHP 6.0 was indubitably made to defer for long. However, the upgrade that kept most of us keyed up definitely planked in a horde of features to look forward to. But for most, the integration of native Unicode UTF-8 in the upgraded version looked preeminent of all. Listed below are some new features in PHP 6.0 that are hopeful of making many users swap to its structure”.

Internationalization: Internationalization or I18N is known for cross cultural or cross location programming. It helps in creating cross culture application with some local inputs like date, time, language, currencies and phone numbers etc. It is highly effective in crafting cross region websites for the industry. The highlight remains the embedment of native Unicode (UTF-8) to the core. Also, improved array indexing is a significant part of PHP 6.0 (enhanced array indexing is anticipated to induce the possibility of being used to sub string). Will discuss more on the next section i.e. Unicode Support.

Enhanced 64bit Support: It is awaited as yet however; PHP 6.0 envisages support for 64bit in near future. As a result, internal code compatibility will not be a hitch in any way. The security level will also increase and the standard of programming will definitely improve a lot. With this, the speed and efficiency of PHP application will also increase to a significant level. So, it is really a wow feature for PHP developers who know how to implement it perfectly fine.

Unicode Support: So far, UTF-8 has proven to be the most efficient alternative as default encoding for string values. Although UTF-16 could not thrive at being a part, the framework hopes to bring Unicode support, design and implementation for enhanced usability. As discussed above in I18N i.e. there are 18 characters in between I and N of Internationalization can help PHP developers in building cross geographic location websites using Unicode. Suppose your client want a website to be developed for 3 different languages like English, French and Belgium. Then, we can do it using Unicode. There will be a content file that keeps the translation version of each words and in the programming application, the PHP developer will keep levels for every field. Now, with Unicode this is possible. The different language words can be written in Unicode and saved into the content file and retrieved as when required by the application. Then according to some local data as discussed above i.e. Time, date, language and currency etc contents will be rendered on the web page. In short, this is highly important in creating multi lingual website in PHP.

Internal API Cleanup: There is no doubt that internal APIs for PHP platform has been on the rise since years. But, PHP 6.0 aims at building developer friendly APIs – which might extend to hash. To notify, hashes are largely employed for internal storage which further lead to the need of internal API cleanup. And since, the stream API tends to go through unfortunate ‘code duplication’, the new feature focuses on resolving the inconsistency and code duplication concerns. In the Cleanup process, the efficiency increases and the application become more stable and optimized as a result, hence improving the overall user experience.

Improved Performance: Performance is the key factor of every language, every version and every upgrade. Fortunately, PHP 6 is more efficient than that of its preceding version. Undoubtedly it will improve the overall productivity of the application and hence the user experience. Another prominent tweak comes in the form of enhanced performance by the framework. PHP 6.0 is likely to offer page level (OpCode) caching through moving Alternative PHP Cache into the PHP core. Along with this, the release unveils the new function of ‘break to label’ – which basically enables the transport of a break to a label (resembling a goto).

Removed Features from PHP: PHP 6.0 takes off magic quotes from its structure. However, developers would look forward to it if the upgraded version adds traits support, C# -style properties with getters/setters, or enable function call chaining. Along with that register_globals, safe_mode are also removed. register_globals is an important feature of PHP and if it is removed then it becomes a hurdle for the PHP developers while dealing with this parameter. I will suggest you to turn this value off for security concern. Because, remove of register_globals enables the users to add, delete or even modify the query string without any hassle and that may lead to fatal error in the application. So, be cautious of these features and accordingly implement them understanding their potential importance.

Warning Free Code: And yes, CodeIgniter eventually emerged as a significant part of this website programming language. Although code quality analyzer has gone astray, the CodeIgniter framework boasts of its warning free code function. There is no doubt that PHP 6.0 has been garnering much of attention since last few years, however it is certainly anticipated to become a popular choice as a hosting control panel vendor. This is really effective in avoiding false positive warnings which was there in the previous versions. Now, the PHP developer will be happier to find proper notification and essential warnings in the application.

Besides these, there are a slew of features that are likely to be amalgamated into PHP 6.0 with time. Though PHP 5.3 integrated many of the functions that were supposed to be embedded into PHP 6.0, the framework still has all the right reasons to intrigue developers for the most part. Also, we cannot forget the removal of register_globals and safe_mode which came as part of PHP 5.4 Alpha (while it was primarily a part of PHP 6.0).

And if you would like to harness the full potential of PHP web application development and are looking for a software development partner to do so, feel free to just drop in a mail at sales at Mindfire Solutions dot com and we would respond in one business day!

Checklist of points while migrating to PHP

“In software language, migration refers to improvement. With every newer version, you will get more user access for better customization and improved user experience. So you must consider the migration process for your PHP website to make it a smart site on the fly over the latest platform. But, there are many potential threats in the migration process and we can’t ignore them at any situation. You must go through some considerations before you jump into the migration process.”

What you get from migration to latest PHP version? Migration means improvement. With the latest version of PHP, you will get enough scope for advanced web application development with many new and enhanced features. Features include support for namespace, Late Static Binding, native Closures, Jump levels, Nowdoc syntax etc. Along with that, a garbage collector is also added for developing advanced web applications on the fly. It is always recommended to remain up-to-date with the latest version of any technology to deal with the ever changing demands of the user.

Back-Up- the term has the highest priority for any Migration process: When you decide to migrate to PHP i.e. the latest version of PHP, the first thing that you should do is to keep a backup of all your previous resources at a secure place. It is recommended to keep those data in a new drive or a different machine drive so that, even by mistake you are not going to lose it during the migration process. The migration process doesn’t take few seconds or minutes rather it may take as long as few hours. So, there is a potential threat of unsuccessful migration process and hence chance of data loss in between. To avoid this issue, there must be a backup of all your resources including the database. Many times the database gets altered during the process so it is necessary to keep the database in a more secure place so that if any data loss occurs we can get it back without much hassle.

Consistency is must: During the migration process due to the change in platform, there is a high chance of inconsistency after the process is completed. It is very common and obvious to find inconsistency between two different versions of any platform. Usually many existing method names, class names and libraries source code get changed in order to provide better quality services with the latest version; but, this affects the behavior of our old PHP application significantly. To avoid this, you must go through each and every modification in the technology and then study the source code of those functions from the documentation and accordingly you should change your previous codes to work with the new platform. In this manner you can avoid the inconsistency issue caused by the migration process.

Compatibility should be well tested: Just like the inconsistency issue, there will be a sure shot compatibility issue when you evolve to the newer version of PHP due to the modified source code. Moreover it also affects the existing plug-ins severely. Most of the plug-ins will not work properly with the latest version and they should be replaced by the corresponding update versions in order to compatible with the latest PHP version. Usually most plug-ins releases their updated versions for the latest PHP version to avoid compatibility issue; but there might be few plug-ins or components that don’t have any compatible updates for the latest version. In that scenario, the developer has to take the responsibility of the plug-ins or components to make them alive in the new platform without mismanaging the application. It can either be done by removing the entire plug-in and its dependencies and then substituting it with another plug-in that may work what the existing was doing previously. Another way is to modify the existing plug-in codebase to make it compatible with the new platform.

Database migration needs full attention from the developer: During the migration if anything is highly unstable then it’s none other than the database. There is a high chance of data loss during the transition and hence you must take preventive steps before you start the migration process. As we have already discussed, the previous database should be kept in a safe and secure environment just like in an isolated drive of the same system or in a different machine. If any data loss occurs we can roll back the database from the backup folder.

Always perform the migration process with a SVN or RTC: SVN or RTC are used for keeping track of any codebase change in the application server. These are highly impactful when we are performing the migration process followed by code modification to make our application fit with the new environment. Usually we find errors and bugs in the new application after the migration process and hence it can be avoided by using an enterprise standard SVN or RTC for versioning purpose. It is like a life saver for the developers during any critical situations; because it enables the application to roll back to its previous version without zero hassle.

Make sure, your application can be roll back if needed: As discussed above versioning tools like SVN or RTC can be used for roll back of modified codebase but what about if the migration process is absolutely unsuccessful? In that case, we have to check if there is any migration tool available for PHP to migrate to a newer version and whether it provides the roll back option if the process is unsuccessful. As a tech savvy, we will not recommend you to rely over a software tool for the migration process and putting all your effort and risk on the same rather we would say it would be an unwise decision to rely on a manmade migration tool. To avoid this you should keep all your existing resource as backup in an isolated location or machine so that in case of unsuccessful migration you can restore your application from the backup.

Finally, Extensive testing is must: Once the migration process is completed there must be many compatibility issue, inconsistency and unreliability in your application. Hence it must be under go severe testing approaches i.e., both manual testing as well as automation testing to find out if any loop hole is still present in the application after iterative testing processes. Never compromise on the quality of testing at any cost because this will seriously hamper your end product or application.

Mindfire Solutions provides expert offshore PHP development services from India, gaining its expertise from years of experience in PHP web development and PHP application development. We have been working in PHP for the last 10+ years and have gained expertise on various PHP application development frameworks and PHP services. We offer expert PHP web design and programming services for global clients. Our Zend certified PHP programmers are proficient in PHP Porting and Migration services, PHP website development and PHP web development.

CakePHP: A Developer’s Review

“Open source frameworks that embed support for built-in tools and eliminate the exigency for any configuration are loved by all - particularly, if they simplify the process of web application development. CakePHP is one such amazing PHP framework that allows developers to work well with large scale applications without taking too much of their time value. It was always an obsession for PHP developers to handle objects which was the power of object oriented programming languages like Java, ASP .Net or C++ etc. With the ORM Architecture of CakePHP, PHP developers get adequate scope to develop object oriented web applications that will definitely decreases the effort and increases the efficiency in a seamless manner. As a result CakePHP became one of the most popular web frameworks of the industry in a very short span of time and its popularity is increasing at an exponential rate over time. Here’s why this open source platform surpasses most other web frameworks out there”.

MVC Pattern: The integrated Model View Controller pattern in CakePHP enables users to conveniently distinguish the logic from the presentation and allows seamless reading, deleting, or updation of data. Users may find it incredible as a tool to interact with their database. Model basically lends support to data management, View lends support to data rendering, and Controller functions by responding to events – the result of which is hassle-free programming management. With the model view controller pattern, the application development becomes much handier from the developers point of view. It not only isolates the view component from that of the server i.e., database or Model of the framework. Along with that, it decreases the overall effort of the PHP developer in building highly scalable and robust application without much worry about the background design. It really makes sense when we are considering developing large scale web application with huge modules having isolated functionalities being connected to the core of the logic. 

ORM: Object Relational Mapping comes as an integral part here that lets developers convert data between unsuited type systems in databases. The tool makes it easier to infuse the data into different facilities by building compliant class objects. It even enables for seamless program writing without any need for a single line of SQL code. With ORM the developer needn’t to modify the data everywhere in the application instead of that he can simply modify it within the object and it will be visible throughout the web application. Database operations like updating, alter etc can be performed in a hassle free manner as compared to any other PHP web framework. In fact ORM has changed the face of PHP programming in a single short with the introduction of object concept into the software application. 

No Configuration: For most developers, having absolute no need for configuration is the best part. CakePHP eliminates the need for any code or configuration where the developer is required to identify the URL or the library of the website. The framework features auto-detection which makes everything further simpler. A newbie can configure CakePHP with little knowledge and with little research on the web and kick start his first web project with CakePHP. There are many blogs, articles and video tutorials available on web that can make the configuration process not only easier but also funny enough. 

Built-in Validation: CakePHP gives developers another reason to appreciate its unique structure. The program offers built-in validation, useful features, and an amazing flow of entities – all of which make web app development a smooth procedure. With the built in validation the effort of PHP developers will decrease drastically without compromising on the quality; because the functions that CakePHP offers for the developers for validation process are simply outstanding. They are highly optimized to offer better performance and speed to the PHP web application and off course they are highly reliable. 

Power to Create Tests: It lets users effectively create tests and verify the critical points in their application. CakePHP provides its users with certain core tests as well as some custom tests – which they can create their own. The power to create tests basically comes handy when someone intends to build a large web application and is required to have a constant performance check.

Class Inheritance: Unlike most open source frameworks, this one encompasses class inheritance for developers who want simplicity yet high performance from their model. CakePHP includes two folders that enable users to watch and work separately. Class inheritance helps the most when the developers have to work with many codes. Inheritance is the core of object oriented programming; and it really makes the programming much more amusing than before. With inheritance, the inception of code reusability comes and that really makes the development process much faster than before. 

Extends with Plug-ins: And not to forget, the unique ability of CakePHP to let users reuse their code! The program allows users to basically reprocess their codes and build on existing facility – however, the framework does this by expanding the developer’s program with some new features and plug-ins. One can simply modularize their application and use it as a completely different utility (interestingly, without having to change CakePHP’s core libraries). This makes the overall application an interesting one due to integration of useful plug-ins into the application. There is millions of reliable plug-ins available in web especially in JavaScript and using them a PHP application can be revived to a new and attractive look and feel.

Future Ready: It is needless to say that CakePHP is future ready. It enables PHP web developers to integrate and take advantage of all modern amenities like HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery etc. Along with that Cloud support matters a lot if we are considering future ready web solution for the industry. Responsive web designs, cross platform application development, web app development are few of the challenging features of CakePHP that has mesmerized the whole world of web.

Although the listed functions above are highly useful for anyone who uses CakePHP, the web framework is by far one of the best choices for large scale web development. It is ideal for anyone who prefers a lot of customization with utmost simplicity and of course, not to forget its CRUD Scaffolding that allows users to create, read, update, and delete.

Mindfire Solutions’ expert developers offer a gamut of CakePHP services and have delivered flawless applications to companies across a range of industries and geographies. If you are interested in developing your next application using the robust CakePHP framework, then just drop in a mail to sales at MindfireSolutions dot com and we will be sending a free quotation in one business day.