Double helping of PHP framework Symfony

Two new stable versions of open source PHP framework Symfony have been released. Versions 1.3 and 1.4 are being released simultaneously because both contain the same functionality, but features marked as deprecated in versions 1.1 to 1.3 have been removed in version 1.4. The development team is thus recommending that users wanting to upgrade existing projects use version 1.3, while for new projects they recommend using Symfony 1.4.

Symfony requires PHP 5.2.4 and runs under Linux/Unix or Windows with standard web servers and databases. The project is licensed under the MIT licence and is inspired by the Ruby on Rails philosophy, practices and architecture. It also implements the MVC model, separating the data model, program execution and output and using object-oriented programming. Symfony is primarily intended for developing complex web applications.

The new versions focus on performance, achieved in part by re-factoring some of the code. The routing system, for example, has been revamped, with the result that it now requires 50 per cent less memory and processor time. The latest versions also now supports object relational mapping technologies Doctrine (1.2) and Propel (1.4). A Symfony blog entry on the new releases explores the more significant changes in more detail. Additionally, the 'What's new in Symfony 1.3/1.4?' tutorial offers a well-documented overview.

(djwm)