Phalcon PHP framework: the perfect combination of speed and efficiency

Core points:

• Phalcon stands out with its extremely high speed, thanks to its unique architecture: it is a PHP module written in C that runs at the system level, reducing overhead and memory footprint.
• The installation process of Phalcon is different from other frameworks. It is not simply downloading and decompressing, but installing as a PHP module. It is a full stack framework that includes functions such as ORM, request object library, and template engine.
• Benchmarks show that Phalcon's request processing per second is more than twice that of CodeIgniter, highlighting its speed advantage. At the same time, it also has the classic features of modern PHP MVC frameworks, which are very convenient to use. Phalcon's ORM and Phalcon Query Language (PHQL) make database interaction more concise and efficient.

The PHP frameworks are varied from full-stack frameworks that include ORM, verification components and a large number of HTML helpers to miniature frameworks that only provide routing capabilities. They all claim to be unique, such as beautiful grammar, extremely fast speed or well-documented. Phalcon is one of them, but it is very different from other frameworks; it is not a simple download package, but a PHP module written in C. This article will briefly introduce Phalcon and its uniqueness.

What is Phalcon?

Phalcon is a full stack framework. It follows the MVC architecture and provides functions such as ORM, request object library, template engine, cache, paging, etc. (a complete list of functions can be found on its official website). But what makes Phalcon unique is that you don't need to download and unzip to a certain directory like most other frameworks do. Instead, you need to download and install it as a PHP module. The installation process takes only a few minutes and the installation instructions can be found in the documentation. In addition, Phalcon is open source. You can modify the code and recompile it at any time.

Compiling brings better performance

A major disadvantage of PHP is that every request requires reading all files from the hard disk, converting them into bytecode, and then executing. This can lead to a serious performance penalty compared to other languages ??such as Ruby (Rails) or Python (Django, Flask). The Phalcon framework itself resides in RAM, so there is no need to deal with the entire framework file set. The benchmarks on the official website do show its significant performance advantages. Phalcon has more than twice the amount of requests per second that CodeIgniter. If the time of each request is taken into account, Phalcon takes the shortest time to process the request. So remember that Phalcon is faster when other frameworks claim to be fast.

Using Phalcon

Phalcon provides the classic features of modern PHP MVC frameworks (routing, controller, view templates, ORMs, caches, etc.), and there is nothing special about other frameworks except speed. However, let's take a look at what a typical Phalcon project looks like. First, there is usually a boot file that is called on every request. The request is sent to the bootloader through the instructions stored in the .htaccess file.

<code><ifmodule mod_rewrite.c="">
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php?_url=/ [QSA,L]
</ifmodule></code>

Phalcon documentation recommends using the following directory structure:

<code>  app/
    controllers/
    models/
    views/
  public/
    css/
    img/
    js/</code>

However, if needed, you can modify the directory layout, as everything will be accessed through the boot file that exists as public/index.php.

<?php try {
// 注冊自動加載器
$loader = new PhalconLoader();
$loader->registerDirs(array(
'../app/controllers/',
'../app/models/'
))->register();

// 創(chuàng)建依賴注入容器
$di = new PhalconDIFactoryDefault();

// 設置視圖組件
$di->set('view', function(){
$view = new PhalconMvcView();
$view->setViewsDir('../app/views/');
return $view;
});

// 處理請求
$application = new PhalconMvcApplication();
$application->setDI($di);
echo $application->handle()->getContent();
}
catch (PhalconException $e) {
echo "PhalconException: ", $e->getMessage();
}

Model-Controller

Controllers and models are loaded automatically, so you can create files anywhere in your project and use them. The controller should extend PhalconMvcController, and the model should extend PhalconMvcModel. The controller operation is defined as follows:

public function indexAction() {
echo '歡迎來到首頁';
}

The model is also very simple:

class Users extends PhalconMvcModel
{
}

By extending the PhalconMvcModel class, you can immediately access some convenient methods such as find(), save() and validate(). You can use the following relationship:

class Users extends PhalconMvcModel
{
public function initialize() {
$this->hasMany('id', 'comments', 'comments_id');
}
}

View

Views provide basic functions such as the ability to pass data to views and use layouts. However, Phalcon views do not use special syntax like Twig or Blade, but instead use pure PHP.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title><?php echo $this->title; ?></title>
</head>
<body>
<?php echo $this->getContent(); ?>
</body>
</html>

However, Phalcon does have a built-in flash messaging system:

$this->flashSession->success('成功登錄！');

Phalcon query language

Phalcon has its own ORM, Phalcon Query Language (PHQL), which can be used to make database interactions more expressive and simplified. PHQL can be integrated with models to easily define and use relationships between tables. You can use PHQL by extending the PhalconMvcModelQuery class and then create a new query, for example:

$query = new PhalconMvcModelQuery("SELECT * FROM Users", $di);
$users = $query->execute();

You can use a query builder instead of this raw SQL:

$users = $this->modelsManager->createBuilder()->from('Users')->orderBy('username')->getQuery()->execute();

This will be very convenient when your query becomes more complex.

Conclusion

Phalcon provides the classic features of modern PHP MVC frameworks, so it should be very convenient to use, in this sense it is just another PHP framework. But what really stands out is its speed. If you are interested in learning more about Phalcon, please check out the documentation for this framework. Be sure to try it!

(Picture from Fotolia)

FAQs about PhalconPHP Framework (FAQ)

• What makes PhalconPHP different from other PHP frameworks?

PhalconPHP is a high-performance PHP framework that is implemented as a C extension. This means it is compiled and runs at the system level, which makes it very fast. Unlike other PHP frameworks, PhalconPHP does not need to be interpreted at runtime, which greatly reduces overhead. It also has a lower memory footprint, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic websites.

• How to install PhalconPHP on the server?

Installing PhalconPHP requires compiling it as a PHP extension. This process varies by the server's operating system. For most Linux distributions, you can use the package manager to install PhalconPHP. For Windows, you can download the DLL file and add it to the PHP extension directory. After installation, you need to restart the web server for the changes to take effect.

• Can PhalconPHP be used with existing PHP applications?

Yes, PhalconPHP's design is as unobtrusive as possible. You can use it with your existing PHP code without any problems. This makes it an excellent choice for gradually refactoring legacy PHP applications.

• How does PhalconPHP handle database interaction?

PhalconPHP includes an object relational mapping (ORM) system that allows easy interaction with databases. You can use it to create, read, update, and delete records without having to write SQL queries manually. ORM also supports relationships between tables, allowing complex data structures to be handled easily.

• What types of applications can be built using PhalconPHP?

PhalconPHP is a universal framework that can be used to build various applications. From simple websites to complex web applications, PhalconPHP provides the functionality and performance you need. It is especially suitable for high traffic websites and applications that require real-time interaction.

• How to use PhalconPHP to process user input?

PhalconPHP includes a form component that can easily handle user input. You can use it to create forms, verify inputs, and display error messages. The form component also includes protection against Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks.

• Does PhalconPHP support MVC architecture?

Yes, PhalconPHP is built around a model-view-controller (MVC) architecture. This design pattern divides the application into three interrelated parts, making it easier to maintain and test. PhalconPHP also supports other design patterns such as dependency injection and event-driven programming.

• How to handle errors in PhalconPHP?

PhalconPHP includes a powerful error handling system. You can use it to catch and handle exceptions, log errors, and display custom error pages. The error handling system is also integrated with the MVC architecture, allowing you to handle errors at the controller level.

• Can third-party libraries be used with PhalconPHP?

Yes, PhalconPHP's design is scalable. Composer can be used to manage and install third-party libraries. PhalconPHP also includes a loader component that allows classes to be loaded automatically from any directory with ease.

• How to protect the security of PhalconPHP applications?

PhalconPHP contains some security features out of the box. These features include input filtering, output escape, and CSRF protection. You can also use the PhalconPHP ACL component to implement access control in your application.

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