Magento 2x development – Zend Framework

Magento Framework controls the connection options of an application component; such as – request flow, routing, indexing, caching, and exception handling, etc. It also reduces the effort of creating elements that contain business logic.

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The Framework works behind the domain layer. Moreover, the framework contains no business logic. As they have reduced the effort of making modules that contain business logic by providing Magento Framework libraries. The operation Framework is responsible for the following tasks:

1.      It handles HTTP protocols

2.      Combines database with filesystem

3.      Rendering content

Before moving into the aspect of Framework that Magento is using, we make a statement that Magento 2x is a heavier version of CMS due to its size of component and libraries, etc.  So regardless of anything, if we want to enjoy the business compatible features of Magento 2, we should go for a good Magento Hosting. 

At least the Hosting should feature SSD cloud storage for faster loading. But in our Magento hosting plans we’re providing absolutely free premium features that can boost the performance of the website. For example, AspirationCDN, SSL certificates, Cloud storage, web development, and customer support, etc. 

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Magento Framework – Choosing Zend Framework 1

The framework landscape has changed a lot from the time when Magento started their development in 2007. As we know, Magento 2 works with the help of Zend Framework 1. Thus Zend Framework does all the work for Magento from the database class to the handling of URLs.

On the other side, Magento wanted to be more stable, flexible and well-designed eCommerce CMS. During that period, Symfony 1, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, and the Zend were the main Frameworks to design any platform or CMS. Magento finds the Zend Framework suitable to achieve the development goals. Because the CakePHP and CodeIgniter with a simple architecture were only suitable for quick application development. Note, Today’s Symfony 2 components are much smart than Symfony 1.

By the way, Magento observed that Zend is suitable with PHP applications and the standard supports their development purposes. Because at that period PHP was supporting Zend in a great manner. As a result, among other Frameworks, they’d chosen Zend over others.  Remember at the time Magento 1x version was released it was not built by totally relying on Zend. Rather they relied on the Zend framework components rather than Zend framework itself.

Magento Framework – Magento 2 Development

Magento released their first stable version in 2008. After two years of success Yoav (former Magento CTO) announced the release of Magento 2. Their intentions were clear that they wanted to improve the underlying architecture to keep up with the modern design of PHP for rapid growth by passing time.

By September 2012, when a stable version of Zend Framework 2 was about to release, with Zend Framework 1 components Magento 2 was already announced their latest CMS. There was a high possibility of technical debt as the Magento 2 which is built with Zend Framework 1 components and at the same time, Zend Framework 3 was about to launch.

But at that time Magento showed their guts and ensured the longer compatibility and specific enhancements for Magento 2 along with the Zend Framework.

Magento Framework – Why it is still suitable?

Magento 1 was very much compact with Zend Framework 1 but we cannot call it a Zend Framework 1 application. Though the Magento 1 was very much dependent on Zend Framework 1 for the components.

But in Magento 2 instead of relying completely on Zend Framework 1, it is trying to become its own framework. As a result, instead of relying heavily on Zend Framework 1 components in Magento 2 by leveraging their own adapters and interfaces they want to become self-dependent now.

Magento Framework – Advancement

However, Magento 2 CMS is still very dependent on the Zend Framework. But with a real effort from tightly coupled to Framework agnostic, has increased the size of Magento 2 codebase.

For example, in the Magento 2 composer.json file, Zend_Json is a Zend Framework 2 component. On the same note, Zend Framework 2 component connects Magento 2  with a similar Zend Framework 1 component. So, we can see that Magento 2  still quite depends upon Zend Framework 1.

Though Magento 2 is trying to limit the use of Zend Framework 1 component in the future versions of Magento by PHP.  As a result, they’re replacing the Zend Framework components with PHP execution wherever it is possible. For example, PHP in the recent 0.74.0 – beta version replaces the Zend_Locale and Zend_Date.

Magento Framework – Conclusion

In conclusion, the framework Magento 2 is using is not a subject of our concern. Whereas our concern should be that the CMS we are using to develop our eCommerce site is dependent on another framework. Furthermore, Zend Framework 1 is very old and the Magento 2 requires a good and modern framework. But it is not so easy to completely remove Zend Framework 1 from Magento 2. Moreover, the inner framework of Magento 2 is not yet completely depends upon Zend Framework 1.