Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
Zend Framework
3.
Use of Zend Framework
4.
Features of Zend Framework
5.
Applications of Zend Framework
6.
Laminas
7.
Changes made to Zend Framework
8.
Reasons for Changing Name
9.
Zend Contribution to Laminas
10.
Frequently Asked Questions
10.1.
What is the purpose of the Zend Framework?
10.2.
Who employs the Zend Framework?
10.3.
The MVC framework Zend is it?
10.4.
Is Zend Framework free?
10.5.
Do laminas offer PHP8 support?
11.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Laminas (Formerly Zend) Framework

Author Mayank Goyal
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Introduction

Laminas Framework

The Laminas Project, formerly known as Zend Framework and run by Rogue Wave Software, is currently led and overseen by the Linux Foundation. You must move your Zend Framework code to the Laminas-branded packages to get security upgrades, bug fixes, and new features.

So, let’s see what the Zend framework basically is.

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Zend Framework

A PHP 5 framework for building object-oriented Web applications is called the Zend Framework (ZF). The framework's objectives are to encourage best practices for developing Web 2.0 Web services and applications and to make it easier to design Web applications using object-oriented methods that enable the creation of extensible classes and objects.

Because it collects loosely coupled components that programmers can use somewhat independently, the Zend Framework is also regarded as a component library. Additionally, it offers a model-view-controller (MVC) framework that can serve as the foundation for the application structure of applications developed using it. Because it is an object-oriented framework, it offers reusable and extensible code that can be shared between other applications, enabling them to scale up to the corporate level easily.

The New BSD License, endorsed by the Open Source Initiative, governs Zend Framework. It was first made available by Zend Technologies on March 3, 2006.

Use of Zend Framework

The following is a list of some Zend Framework benefits.

  • Loosely Coupled-  Zend allows us to remove any modules or components from the application that we don't require.
     
  • Performance-  Zend Framework has been carefully optimized for speed. Zend Framework 3 is 4 times quicker than its predecessor.
     
  • Security- The framework supports industry-standard encryption.
     
  • Testing – Zend and PHPUnit are integrated, making it simple to test the framework.
     

There are some other crucial aspects of the Zend Framework that make it worthwhile to research:

  • The package contains all the items.
     
  • It has a contemporary style.
     
  • It's simple to learn.
     
  • It is completely documented.
     
  • Developing is easy.
     
  • Rapid development occurs.

Features of Zend Framework

Following are some of the key characteristics of Zend Framework:

  • Web application framework that is exclusively object-oriented Advanced MVC implementation.
     
  • Supports several databases, such as PostgreSQL and SQLite,
     
  • Easy cloud API
     
  • Session control
     
  • Data protection
     
  • Dynamic URI Routing
     
  • Zend offers assistance with the creation of RESTful APIs.
     
  • Reusable and simpler to maintain code.

Applications of Zend Framework

The Zend Framework was used in the creation of the following well-known items.

  • Website of the McAfee Company
     
  • Website for IBM
     
  • One of the most well-known shopping cart websites in Magento.
     

That’s all from the overview of the Zend framework; now let’s see one of the important points of discussion, i.e., the evolution of the Zend framework to the laminas project.

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Laminas

The successor of the Zend Framework is Laminas. Leading companies continue to offer solutions in eCommerce, content management, healthcare, entertainment, and communications using this PHP framework you already know and love. The community is actively improving it. Laminas is only the next development in the Zend Framework's progression.

Changes made to Zend Framework

Only the framework's title and governance have recently changed. 

  • Laminas's source code base.
     
  • Because the base is the same, it will function the same as your Zend Framework code; it will only utilize the code in new namespaces.
     
  • The Linux Foundation now runs it under an open governance model.
     
  • It will eventually fall under the Linux Foundation's technical charter.

Reasons for Changing Name

The framework and all of its subprojects required new names to preserve Zend's trademarks and to help identify this historical shift in the technology's life:

  • The new name for the Zend Framework is Laminas.
     
  • Laminas API Tools has replaced Apigility.
     
  • Mezzio, a spelling variation of the Italian term for middle, is the current name for expressive.

Zend Contribution to Laminas

People could choose the components they wanted to utilize because Zend Framework was initially designed as a component framework. And Laminas, the third version of Zend Framework, is pursuing this objective. Zend is thrilled to develop Laminas components that link open-source and for-profit applications.

The Linux Foundation will receive a proposal from Zend that includes a list of currently unfinished components. However, the team can say they are developing fantastic asynchronous PHP-based components that support microservices and enterprise connectors.

Additionally, Zend is still offering Zend Framework enterprise support and services. In addition, Zend recently introduced a brand-new independent enterprise support service for Laminas.

That’s all from the article. Now, you know all you need to know about the overview of the Zend framework and transition to the laminas project.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the Zend Framework?

An open-source PHP framework is called Zend. It was constructed using the MVC design paradigm and is entirely object-oriented. The Zend framework includes several PHP packages that can be used to create web services and applications.

Who employs the Zend Framework?

According to reports, 61 businesses, including GittiGidiyor, Directus, and theiconic, employ Zend Framework in their IT stacks.

The MVC framework Zend is it?

With a focus on performance and versatility, Zend MVC is a completely new MVC implementation built from the bottom up for Zend Framework 2. The following elements are built on top of the MVC layer: A collection of standard service definitions are offered by Zend Framework's ZendServiceManager and are set up at ZendMvcService.

Is Zend Framework free?

An open-source PHP web framework is called Zend. It is BSD-licensed software that is free to use.

Do laminas offer PHP8 support?

We can address this issue due to annotations. With version 3, laminas-form now supports standard DocBlock annotations and PHP8 properties. Attributes from PHP8 are advised for new projects.

Conclusion

In this article, we had an overview of the Zend framework. We have discussed the various aspects related to the Zend framework.

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