CodeIgniter: Introduction to CodeIgniter Framework

CodeIgniter Step By Step Tutorial: CodeIgniter (CI) is one of popular php framework. If you are already building PHP Application, CodeIgniter will help you to do it better and more easily. With CodeIgniter, you can save time, make your web more robust, your code will be easier to read and maintenance. It is free, lightweight, and simple to install. In this post, we will know more deep about CodeIgniter before write code.

Nice, CodeIgniter is small and lightweight framework. The zipped download for version 1.5 is only 737 KB. You don't need long time to download it. You can get it from http://www.codeigniter.com. CI was written by Rick Ellis, rock musician turned programmer.

With CodeIgniter, you can cut down the amount of code you need to type. This is not just good for lazy, but: less type, fewer mistake, and less time for spend debugging.

But, CodeIgniter is not everything. We will not find 'engine generator' that can build page self. Several frameworks have features like that. For example, they can create web page (that to do basic Create, Read, Update, and Delete operation) automatically. CodeIgniter doesn't do this.

This, I copy from their help page: "Our goal for CodeIgniter is maximum performance, capability, and flexibility in the smallest, lightest possible package.

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From an technical and architectural standpoint, CodeIgniter was created with the following objectives:

• Dynamic Instantiation. In CodeIgniter, components are loaded and routines executed only when requested, rather than globally. No assumptions are made by the system regarding what may be needed beyond the minimal core resources, so the system is very light-weight by default. The events, as triggered by the HTTP request, and the controllers and views you design will determine what is invoked.
• Loose Coupling. Coupling is the degree to which components of a system rely on each other. The less components depend on each other the more reusable and flexible the system becomes. Our goal was a very loosely coupled system.
• Component Singularity. Singularity is the degree to which components have a narrowly focused purpose. In CodeIgniter, each class and its functions are highly autonomous in order to allow maximum usefulness.

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Nice feature, CodeIgniter is very flexible. We can apply at PHP 4.3.2 and above, or PHP 5. It will realy help us when our web hosting still don't support PHP 5. CI support serveral database: MySQL, MySQLi, MS SQL, Postgre, Oracle, SQLite, and ODBC.

Ok, next post, we will learn how to install CodeIgniter.