Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
What is Yii Framework?
3.
Yii Framework History
4.
Yii Licensing
5.
Yii Version
6.
Prerequisites
7.
Audience
8.
What are the requirements for Yii framework?
9.
Features of Yii Framework
10.
Frequently Asked Questions
10.1.
What is YII framework used for?
10.2.
What is the full form of Yii?
10.3.
Is Yii an MVC framework?
10.4.
Is Laravel better than Yii?
10.5.
What is the difference between Laravel and Yii framework?
10.6.
What are the models in Yii framework?
11.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Aug 27, 2024
Medium

YII PHP Framework

Author Yashi Agarwal
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Introduction

The YII PHP Framework is a powerful, high-performance framework designed for developing robust and scalable web applications with PHP. Renowned for its speed and efficiency, YII provides a comprehensive set of tools and features that streamline the development process, from handling complex data interactions to ensuring security and scalability. In this blog, we will explore more about the YII PHP Framework.

Yii: PHP Framework

What is Yii Framework?

Yii is a high-performance PHP framework designed for rapid web application development, offering extensive reuse and speeding up complex application creation. Suited for various applications, especially high-traffic ones, it's lightweight with robust caching. 

Yii follows the MVC pattern and stands out for its effectiveness, rich features, and thorough documentation, making it ideal for significant web applications. It's purpose-built, not derived from other projects, based on extensive research and experience.

Yii Framework History

One of the oldest PHP frameworks available, Yii is continually improving as PHP gets better and better. The initial release of the PRADO framework was made by Qiang Xue in June 2004. At the PRADO forums in October 2006, Qiang revealed an alpha version of Yii. Yii version 1.0.0 was made available on December 3rd, 2008. PRADO was the source of many concepts and some code. The community quickly expanded because Yii 1.0.0 was significantly faster than other frameworks with comparable functionality. Released in January 2010 was Yii 1.1. Yii 2.0 and its source code were released to the public in May 2013. The initial stable version was released in October 2014.

Also read about, Interpolation in Angular

Yii Licensing

Yii is a free software framework. It is distributed in accordance with the following BSD License.
All rights reserved. Copyright 2008-2023 by Yii Software.
If the following prerequisites are satisfied, redistribution and use in source and binary versions, with or without modification, are allowed:

  • The aforementioned copyright notice, this list of restrictions, and the following disclaimer must all remain in place when the source code is redistributed.
  • Binary redistributions must include the aforementioned copyright notice, this list of terms, and the following disclaimer in the accompanying documentation and/or supplementary materials.
  • Without express prior written consent, neither the name of Yii Software LLC nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote items made using this program.

Yii Version

The versions of Yii are provided below:

Version Release date End of active support
1.0 December 3, 2008 December 31, 2010
1.1 January 10, 2010 December 31, 2016
2.0 October 12, 2014 TBD
3.0 TBD TBD

Prerequisites

You might want to check that your server complies with Yii's requirements after installing Yii. PHP 5.1 or above must be installed on the server and accessible to the web server because Yii requires it. In Linux and Windows, Yii has been tested with the Apache HTTP server. If PHP 5.1 is supported, it can also run on other Web servers and operating systems.

Audience

Yii PHP framework primarily targets web developers seeking a high-performance and feature-rich tool for efficiently building web applications, including complex projects like portals, forums, CMS, and e-commerce systems. It's suitable for both novice and experienced developers due to its extensive documentation and robust toolset.

What are the requirements for Yii framework?

The requirements for the Yii framework typically include:

  • PHP Version: Yii framework requires PHP 5.4.0 or higher.
  • Database: Yii supports various relational databases including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and SQL Server.
  • Web Server: Any web server that supports PHP, such as Apache, Nginx, or Microsoft IIS, can be used with Yii.
  • Extensions: Some Yii features may require additional PHP extensions like PDO, GD, and Mbstring.
  • Operating System: Yii is compatible with Unix-based systems (Linux, macOS) as well as Windows.

Features of Yii Framework

There are many frameworks for PHP. One of them is Yii. There are several new features in the latest version, Yii2. 

Feature Description
Simple Installation Yii can be downloaded manually or via Composer. Composer is recommended for efficiency and time-saving.
Use of Modern Technologies Yii utilizes advanced PHP technologies and is based on OOP concepts, with autoloaders benefiting all namespaced classes.
Highly Extensive Yii's components are easily extendable. Third-party libraries can be installed via Composer and integrated seamlessly.
Testing Feature Yii2 integrates Codeception, a PHP testing framework for writing unit, functional, and acceptance tests, simplifying application testing.
Security Yii offers robust security features with multiple security components to build a secure application.
Less Developmental Time Yii reduces repetitive tasks in application development by offering tools for CRUD operations, models, controllers, extensions, and forms.
Performance Yii is designed for high performance, providing options to enhance application speed and efficiency with lower memory usage.
MVC Framework Yii supports the model-view-controller (MVC) pattern to separate code into distinct sections.
Modeling Database Represents database data as objects rather than complex SQL statements.
Error Handling Logs and categorizes error messages, with options to direct them to various locations.
Form Input and Validation Simplifies form input and validation with a collection of validators and helper functions.
Automatic Code Generation Offers extensible code generation tools, such as CRUD and form generators, to expedite coding tasks.
Detailed Documentation Provides comprehensive documentation covering methods and properties used in Yii.
Skinning and Theming Includes mechanisms for skinning and theming, allowing easy changes to the appearance of Yii-generated websites.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is YII framework used for?

Yii is a component-based PHP framework with high performance for building complex Web applications quickly. The development of your Web application can be significantly sped up, allowing for the most reuse in Web programming.

What is the full form of Yii?

Yii is an acronym for "Yes, it is". It is a PHP web application framework that follows an object-oriented, component-based MVC architecture. It's open source and is pronounced as "Yee" or [ji:], with its Chinese meaning being "simple and evolutionary."

Is Yii an MVC framework?

Yes, Yii follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) framework. It follows the MVC architectural pattern ich states that the application logic should be divided into three interconnected components that are the model, the view, and the controller. This framework significantly sped up the development of the web application.

Is Laravel better than Yii?

Comparing Laravel and Yii depends on specific project requirements. Laravel is known for its elegant syntax and developer-friendly features, while Yii is recognized for its performance and efficiency. The choice between them hinges on project needs.

What is the difference between Laravel and Yii framework?

Laravel emphasizes simplicity and elegance with a rich ecosystem, while Yii focuses on performance and extensibility, offering powerful caching and Gii code generation tools.

What are the models in Yii framework?

Models in Yii represent business logic and data structures, interacting with the database through Active Record or Data Access Object (DAO) patterns for data manipulation.

Conclusion

In this blog, we have discussed the YII Framework Tutorial. We discussed why YII is being used and the features of it. This Yii framework tutorial serves as a comprehensive guide for developers looking to leverage Yii's robust features for web development. With its emphasis on performance, security, and extensibility, Yii empowers developers to create efficient and scalable web applications with ease.

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Refer to our guided paths on Coding Ninjas Studio to learn more about DSA, Competitive Programming, JavaScript, System Design, etc. Enroll in our courses and refer to the mock test and problems available; look at the Top 150 Interview Puzzles interview experiences, and interview bundle for placement preparations. Read our blogs on aptitudecompetitive programminginterview questionsIT certifications, and data structures and algorithms for the best practice. 

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