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Introduction
Hey Ninja! Welcome to another exciting blog by coding ninjas. We hope you are doing well. In this article on Codeigniter vs Laravel, we will discuss two of the most popular PHP frameworks, Laravel, and CodeIgniter. We will learn about the fundamental concepts of both these frameworks in detail. After that, we will thoroughly compare these two frameworks against one another. After reading this article, you will better understand which framework to choose.
Let us first start by learning the basics about these frameworks.
CodeIgniter is a robust open-source PHP-based framework. If you want to develop full-featured web applications using a simple and elegant framework, then you should try CodeIgniter. It allows third-party extensions and provides some excellent security and encryption features. These features make it one of the best frameworks for developing dynamic websites using PHP.
Historically, EllisLab released the first public version of CodeIgniter in 2006. The British Columbia Institute of Technology developed it.
Key Features of CodeIgniter
Let us look at some essential features of this framework:
It is a Model-View-Controller (MVC) based system. MVC is a software architecture pattern.
CodeIgniter supports Cross-site scripting (XSS) filtering. It is a secure framework.
It has an inbuilt query builder database support.
It is a lightweight application with session management and email-sending features.
Laravel
Similar to CodeIgniter, Laravel is also an open-source PHP framework developing web applications rapidly. It also supports the MVC patterns for the development of applications. This framework is mostly used for producing large, fully-featured web applications. The main highlight of Laravel is its built-in support for user authentication.
Taylor Otwell created Laravel, and he released its first version in the year 2011.
Key Features of Laravel
Mentioned below are some key features of Laravel:
Laravel supports the blade templating engine.
It supports Eloquent ORM (object-relational mapper). This mapper allows us to handle and maintain database records efficiently.
Just like CodeIgniter, Laravel also uses MVC architecture patterns.
It provides built-in authentication and authorization features.
Laravel has a database migration system along with various libraries. It also supports unit testing.
Codeigniter vs Laravel: Comparison
We have understood the basics of both frameworks. Now, it is time to compare these against each other and find out the right choice for you.
Parameter
Laravel
Codelgniter
Data Model
Laravel uses the object-oriented data model.
Codelgniter is relational object-oriented.
Integrated ORM
Eloquent ORM
Doctrine Datamapper Gas
PHP 7
It supports PHP 7.
It also supports PHP 7 but with some issues.
Structure
It uses the command line tool known as Artisan and follows the MVC pattern.
Codelgniter follows an object-oriented MVC pattern for architecture.
Routing
It supports only explicit routing.
CodeIgniter supports both explicit and implicit routing.
Database Support
Laravel supports several databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.
CodeIgniter supports more databases than Laravel, including Oracle, JDBC, etc.
Authentication
It provides a built-in authentication class.
It does not have a built-in authentication class.
Unit Testing
Laravel provides us with a built-in testing tool PHPUnit.
It does not support any built-in unit testing tools. We install extensions to do unit testing.
Community Support
Laravel has a large community of active members.
Codeigniter is an open-source platform. It also has a large and active community.
In this article on Codeigniter vs Laravel, let us now discuss some pros and cons of both frameworks.
Advantages of Codeigniter
A large community and good documentation make it easy to use this framework.
It provides simple routing methods.
CodeIgniter is great for building short-term projects.
It supports many databases, even larger than Laravel.
CodeIgniter supports Hooks and Class extensions and form and data validation.
It provides an image manipulation library and a File Uploading Class.
Codeigniter does not have a built-in authentication class.
It does not support built-in testing tools.
Advantages of Laravel
Laravel has great documentation. This documentation makes it easy to learn.
It supports an auto-loading mechanism so that inclusion paths get included automatically. This feature also lets us avoid manual maintenance.
It supports various database platforms like Postgre SQL, MySQL, etc.
Unlike CodeIgniter, Laravel provides built-in authentication and security, which gives it an upper hand, as we saw in the “CodeIgniter vs. Laravel comparison” section.
Laravel provides the feature of version control that simplifies the management of migrations.
Laravel provides us with PHPUnit. It is a built-in unit testing tool of this framework.
It supports Eloquent ORM (object-relational mapper). This mapper allows us to handle and maintain database records easily.
Disadvantages of Laravel
Laravel is easy to learn but difficult to master.
It supports only explicit routing.
Laravel’s execution speed and performance are less than that of Codeigniter.
CodeIgniter vs Laravel: Winner
The above discussion regarding CodeIgniter vs Laravel shows that Laravel has the upper hand over CodeIgniter. Since Laravel is a comparatively new framework, it has many more features than its rival. Laravel successfully covers many pitfalls of CodeIgniter. Looking at recent trends, Laravel is much more popular than CodeIgniter. However, we still prefer CodeIgniter if speed is the game. CodeIgniter wins in case of execution speed and performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is routing in CodeIgniter?
Routing allows us to define our URLs instead of predefined ones. Whenever the request matches our custom URL, it will get directed to the specific function or path.
Which framework should I use to develop an E-commerce website?
E-commerce websites require swift responses and rapid development. Hence, it is advisable to use CodeIgniter to develop these commercial websites as it provides a fast execution speed.
Name some popular websites that use Laravel as the backend framework.
Many modern-day websites are built using Laravel. These websites include InvoiceNinja, MyRank, Alison, World Walking, etc.
Conclusion
Hey Ninja! We hope you enjoyed reading this “CodeIgniter vs Laravel” article. We believe you can now pick out the best framework for you according to your needs.
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