I’ve also seen some ill informed speculation that Zend PHP Framework will kill off PEAR. Um, not gonna happen. PEAR is a library, not a framework. Well, PEAR is a repository of libraries, not a framework. Well, I don’t know what PEAR is, but its not a framework.

What is a framework? I wrote a little bit about this in The value of MVC, but according the the GOF:

A Framework is a set of cooporating classes that make up a reusable design for a specific class of software. …

The framework dictates the architecture of your application. It will define the overall structure, its partitioning into classes and objects, the key responsibilities thereof, how the classes and objects collaborate, and the thread of control. A framework predefines these design parameters so that you, the application designer/implementor, can concentrate on the specifics of your application. The framework captures the design decisions that are common to its application domain. Frameworks thus emphasize design reuse over code reuse, though a framework will usually include concrete subclasses you can put to work immediately.

A reusable design for a specific class of software? That doesn’t sound like PEAR. It does sound a bit like ezPublish. Is ezComponents a framework by this definition? I don’t know.

Sebastian Bergmann doesn’t see competition between ezComponents and ZPF, suggesting that you can swap and combine. Scanning the list of ZPF components and the ezComponents shows overlap. Can you swap out ZTemplate for ezComponents Template or ZInputFilter for ezComponents UserInput?

I applaud ezComponent’s use of the PEAR installer. I hope that Zend PHP Framework embraces the PEAR installer as well.

The Java web framework landscape has become quite fragmented; the purpose of this group is to explore synergies among the existing frameworks that will make life easier for companies, organizations, and developers working using Java to build web applications.

A reaction to Rails?

As I suggested in The Value of MVC, the science of writing web applications is maturing and we are entering the age of frameworks.

Will there be a similar consolidation of PHP Frameworks? Or will Zend PHP Framework rule them all? eZ systems for one isn’t conceding just yet and continues with their eZ publish Enterprise Components. I expect other to do the same. We shall see.

Every once and a while I get an odd email from someone I have never heard of suggesting that WACT should merge with project X. The messages are usually poorly thought out and slightly insulting and never from anyone actually involved with either project X or WACT, but I certainly wouldn’t oppose such a thing if it made sense and there was some interest and synergy from the other party. Unfortunately, the fact that WACT 1.0 will support currently installed versions of PHP (meaning 4.x) is probably a deal breaker for the kinds of people who are interested in writing frameworks. After WACT 1.0 is out (Q1 2006) I would like to skip PHP 5 and target PHP 6 for WACT 2.0. (Other WACT stakeholders may have different ideas.) The framework landscape will probably be different then. And there is one other framework I’ve been keeping an eye on ….

“PHP as a language isn’t isolated and people are going to be building SOA types of applications using XML and SOAP,” said Rod Smith, vice president of emerging technology at IBM.

“So the idea is to have an Eclipse plug-in here to leverage content [and] leverage the assets that have a Web services interface on it” and link to Java back-end systems, Smith said.

Both the Eclipse plug-in and development framework will be offered free.

ZDNet adds:

In addition, Zend will publish a PHP “framework,” or set of reusable PHP codes, also under an open-source license. The framework will allow third-party software companies to create add-ins that work in conjunction with Zend’s flagship product, Zend Studio.

Is Zend PHP Framework an add-in API for Zend Studio? You too can make a “Refactor single quotes to double quotes” plugin.

Perhaps some esoteric Java integration capability? Good News Everyone! Now your sloppy php web front end can grovel even lower before our mighty and wise java back end. I, for one, welcome our new Java overlords. I’d like to remind them that as guy with a blog I could be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground SOAP caves. **

Don’t flush yet, Davey.

Why build when you can acquire? Maybe ZPF is PRADO with IDE support? Prado 3 is due “later this year.” But then, so is eZ publish Enterprise Components.

A Struts clone? Thats so 2004.

A Rails clone? It would be pretty obvious who the competition is then.

Is Zend PHP Framework a component model? The best thing that could happen to PHP would be a standard component model. I’m just not sure that PHP 5.1 has all the language pieces in place for that yet. Unless they go with the java style accessor methods – ok if you are the vendor of a tool that auto-generates accessor method code, big suck if you have even a small awareness of Ruby.

I know nothing, but this speculation is almost as much fun as Crazy Apple Rumors.