I wish to use the Translator classes of Zend framework in my app, but I don't want to include the whole framework. I grabbed the:
Locale folder
Translate folder
Exception.php
Loader.php
Locale.php
Registry.php
Translate.php
and copied into a custom folder named zend.translator.
Obviously I had to edit all them to adjust the includes to the new path...
Is this the way to go? I'm worried to have to edit all those files every time
a new version is released.
You could use the Zend_Loader_Autoloader to include only the classes from Zend Framework that you actually use. So you wouldn't have to check all the dependencies yourself. Just put the complete Framework on your include_path and the Autoloader will take care of it.
That way, you don't have to edit all the files. And autoloading can also give you a significant performance boost.
No. That's definitely not the way to go.
First of all, grab the whole framework. It does not add any overhead to your application besides occupying some more diskspace. Should you find out later you want to use some more components, you have everything in place already. ZF will not instantiate anything you don't use, so it won't impact performance to have the whole thing.
Second, don't change the files. ZF uses a naming convention you can easily use with autoloading. You can either use the Zend_Autoloader or roll your own. Basically, you just have to replace underscores in a filename with slashes and add '.php'.
Related
I'm new to php and inherited a website project with hundreds of pages, all procedural (when I do a text search of the files, there isn't even a function definition anywhere). I'm coming from the c# and Java worlds. I'm looking for a way to incrementally add OOP. (They want me to update the front end and I am trying to convince them of fixing the backend at the same time and they don't want to use a framework (dammit)).
While looking into autoloader... Well, here's my understanding. It's a method of registering folders where classes are stored and when you instantiate a class, trait, etc. it searches the folder based on the class/filename/namespace and loads the appropriate definitions.
I have a few questions:
Does autoloader search the folder and load the appropriate definitions on every page lifecycle (or does it cache them)?
Pre-loading:
Is there a way to use autoloader, or some alternative, to pre-load ALL class definitions into memory and make them available across all sessions?
If so, when updating class files, how would I tell this mechanism to reload everything to memory when I make changes to class files?
UPDATE TO QUESTIONS:
Thank you both for your answers and it helps a little, but... I do have a bad habit of posing the wrong question(s) on StackOverflow.
The thing I want to avoid is slowing down pages by adding classes. So let's say I add a library and register the paths with autoloader. A page instanciates a class with multiple dependencies. Let's say that the dependency graph includes 15 files. For each request lifecycle, the server loads the page and 15 other files just on that one page.
Since I am coming from compiled languages, I feel a little strange not loading these classes into memory. All the classes together should not be over say 5MB.
(Or maybe I should just create a RAM Disk and copy all the files in there on boot and just have a symlink?)
Auto loaders in PHP are lazy. When PHP encounters a the use of a class it doesn't know about, it will ask the registered autoloader (or chain of autoloaders) to go find it. It's the autoloader's job to figure out where to get the file the class is defined in and include it. Having some sort of convention for naming your classes and organizing your class files is key to having a useful autoloader, and several conventions have arisen in the PHP community, such as PSR-4.
Does autoloader search the folder and load the appropriate definitions on every page lifecycle (or does it cache them)?
The autoloader(s) is(are) called on every request, but only when the need to autoload a class arises.
Pre-loading: Is there a way to use autoloader, or some alternative, to pre-load ALL class definitions into memory and make them available across all sessions?
I don't believe so, but as the number of classes grow, this becomes more and more wasteful.
Welcome to the wonderful[citation needed] world of legacy PHP, I highly recommend you check out Modernizing Legacy Applications In PHP. It's like a strategy guide for getting from Mordor back to the Shire.
I think you may misunderstand the purpose of autoloading. It is simply instructions on what to do when your code calls for a class that PHP doesn't recognize. That's it. The autoloader just calls requires /path/to/classfile so that PHP will see the class.
Does autoloader search the folder and load the appropriate definitions
on every page lifecycle (or does it cache them)?
There is no caching across requests, so if you make a change to file, the next http request will incorporate those changes. It's just as if you changed any other instruction in your script, for example change echo 1 to echo 2
Pre-loading: Is there a way to use autoloader, or some alternative, to
pre-load ALL class definitions into memory and make them available
across all sessions?
There is no need for this. A well written autoloader has instructions for where to find any class, so loading all possible classes ahead of time is wasteful. If you're still running into undefined classes errors, you need to either improve the autoloader or place the class files in accordance with the current autoloader instructions.
If you really want to preload all your classes, use the auto_prepend_file setting in php.ini. The docs say
Specifies the name of a file that is automatically parsed before the
main file
Set it to an initialization script. In that script have something like:
//put all your class files in this folder
$dir = '/path/to/classes/folder';
$handle = opendir($dir);
//require all PHP files from classes folder
while (false !== ($item = readdir($handle))){
$path = $dir.'/'.$item;
if(is_file($path) && pathinfo($path,PATHINFO_EXTENSION)==='php')
require_once $path;
}
This is simplified. There is significant risk in just including all files in any directory into your script so I would not do this. You would also need to adjust this if you want to include files in subdirectories.
Basically, don't do this. Just have a good autoloader.
No one posted what I was looking for but it seems the best route is the OptCache that's prebuilt into php 5.5 and above (my client is using 5.3 so I didn't know about it).
https://github.com/zendtech/ZendOptimizerPlus
The Zend OPcache
The Zend OPcache provides faster PHP execution through opcode caching
and optimization. It improves PHP performance by storing precompiled
script bytecode in the shared memory. This eliminates the stages of
reading code from the disk and compiling it on future access. In
addition, it applies a few bytecode optimization patterns that make
code execution faster.
I'm going to use Zend framework but just some tool of Zend like translate, date and cache. Can I use it as standalone class? My project has it own structure and I don't want use the whole Zend fw. If yes, which files should I include in my project? Is there a docs for using each Zend fw tool as standalone?
And remember, to use various Zend Framework components in another project, you just need to have the Zend library somewhere on your include_path. Copying the whole thing may seem overkill to use one component, but it's only disk space. Having those files there doesn't affect performance unless they are called upon. And this way, you don't have to sweat the dependencies, like Zend_Exception and its various component-specific subclasses.
So, for example, if you have a folder myapp/lib to contain your external libraries, you simply make sure that your include path contains that lib folder and copy the Zend folder into it as myapp/lib/Zend.
Then to use a component like Zend_Translate, all you have to do is something like the following:
require_once 'Zend/Translate.php';
$options = array(
// your options here
);
$translate = new Zend_Translate($options);
With some kind of autloading mechanism in place, you can avoid even the require_once call. Setting up autoloading is as easy as putting the following in some kind of common/bootstrap file:
require_once 'Zend/Loader/Autoloader.php';
Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
Then any classes that follow the PEAR 1-class-1-file naming convention can be loaded without explicitly adding any require/include statements.
If disk-space really is a concern and you really don't want the whole Zend library, then you could investigate a packageizer, like Jani Hartikainen's Packageizer.
As an answer i could say Yes of course.
for example if u want to use Zend_Translate copy Translate.php and Translate folder to your library directory.
some times inside a class some other classes have been used. u have to copy them too. i find them by reading raised errors. ;)
Is .zfproject.xml a must in a Zend Framework project?
What does it do?
Is it's location absolute?
When using Zend_Tool to manage your Zend Framework project, .zfproject.xml will contain your application structure state. This is required by Zend_Tool (and only by it) to be able to work, e.g. add code to certain parts., generate things, etc.
Quoting ZF Manual on Zend_Tool_Project:
So, for example, if in one command you created a controller, and in the next command you wish to create an action within that controller, Zend_Tool_Project is gonna have to know about the controller file you created so that you can (in the next action), be able to append that action to it.
I am not sure if Zend_Tool can be configured to use a different path to .zfproject.xml. My suggestion would be to leave it untouched. It's a hidden file anyway.
Just to add, the zfproject.xml is not needed if you don't use Zend_Tool.
So it's not a must. Personally, I manage all my zf projects more or less without a command line and it works fine for me.
Basically if your going to use Zend_Tool, stick with it. Zend Tool doesn't like it when you create MVC manually. Its just another layer of abstraction that you can probably live without.
I am using zend framework 1.10. Whenever I create a action using zf tool it re-indents the code in the controller file and removes some function closing brackets. It is kind of buggy, so will not be using it from now on.
What is the best way to integrate an external script into the Zend Framework? Let me explain because I may be asking this the wrong way. I have a script that downloads and parses an XML file. This script, which runs as a daily cron job, needs to dump its data into the database.
I am using Zend Framework for the site which uses this script and it seems to me that it would be best to use my subclassed model of Zend_Db_Abstract to do the adding and updating of the database. How does one go about doing this? Does my script go in the library next to the Zend Components (i.e. library/Mine/Xmlparse.php) and thus have access to the various ZF components? Do I simply need to include the correct model files and the Zend DB component in the file itself? What is the best way to handle this sort of integration?
Yes, you should put your own classes that maybe inherit Zend Framework classes or add further classes into your own folder next to the Zend Framework folder in library.
When you have Zend_Loader s auto-loading enabled, the class names will automatically map to the class you created, e.g.:
My_Db_Abstract will map to My/Db/Abstract.php .
In your library directory you should have your own library next to the Zend library folder. Whatever you call it (Mylib, Project, ...) you should include it into the Zend Autoloader and that's done as follows:
require_once 'Zend/Loader/Autoloader.php';
$loader = Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
$loader->registerNamespace('Project_');
$loader->setFallbackAutoloader(true);
if ($configSection == 'development')
{
$loader->suppressNotFoundWarnings(false);
}
In order for you library to integrate nicely with ZF and the Autoloader you should stick to the ZF naming conventions. This means two things:
if you extend an existing ZF class, replicate the ZF folder structure so that your file has the same path and name except for the library name. E.g. /library/Zend/Db/Abstract.php => /library/Project/Db/Abstract.php.
if you write your own classes, still stick to the ZF naming conventions for the autoloader to find them.
I just came across something that may be germane to this question. This IBM developerWorks article.
The author recommends simply creating a scripts folder in the ZF hierarchy and the using it as one normally would within ZF (though he does set the ini path and call autoload). Is it that simple? Does simply being in the hierarchy of the framework and including the path and autoloader grant your script access to all of the goodies?
I'm not 100% sure what you're trying to ask but I will try to help. If at any point you add a reference to "/path/to/zend/framework" into your php include path then you have in essence enabled the Zend Framework. From there if you do:
require_once('Zend/Loader.php');
Zend_Loader::registerAutoload();
Then at any point in your script you can pretty much just create new Zend Framework objects and Zend_Loader will handle the rest.
One of the big things about the Zend Framework though is not forcing you to do things a certain way. That's why sometimes there are several ways to accomplish the same thing. So, if you feel you need to make your script use the Zend Framework just for the sake of doing so this is not really necessary. But if you think it may improve your script in some way then go for it.
I usually put custom stuff that I think could be used across projects in a custom folder in the library. So I have a library/Ak33m folder that has scripts that may be outside of the framework.
As a ZF noob myself, I think I understand some of what the OP is trying to figure out. So, I'll just explain a bit of what I understand in the hope that it is helpful either to the OP (or more likely, to a future reader, since the original question is so old and I imagine that OP is now a ZF guru).
I understand that ZF claims to be largely "use at will", so that you need no buy into an entire structure, like the Zend_Application, the Zend_Bootstrap class, the entire MVC approach, etc.
Further, I understand conventions for class naming and file locations that enable easy autoloading. Ex: class App_Model_User resides in a folder App/Model/User.php
I think what can be potentially confusing is that in the script context, where you have not yet
done the .htaccess magic that pushes all request to public/index.php
set your APPLICATION_PATH and include paths in public/index.php
created your Application or Bootstrap object tied to a config file
it can be a little bit unclear how best to avail yourself of most of the ZF goodness we get in that context and want in another context.
I guess my answer to the original question would be that the usual entry point sequence of
http request -> .htaccess -> index.php -> config
sets up much of our environment for us, we would need to duplicate some of that for different entry path.
So, for your script, my first instinct would be to create a common include file that mirrors much of what happens in index.php - set the include paths, the APPLICATION_PATH, instantiates and calls a bootstrap, and then does your script-specific processing.
Even better, it might be desirable to create a single entry point for all your scripts, like we do in the http/web context. Extend Zend_Application for your own script purposes so that $application->run(); no longer starts up the MVC router-controller-dispatch processing, but rather does your own stuff. In that way, this single script entry point would look almost identical to the web entry point, the only difference being which application object gets instantiated. Then pass the name of your desired Application class as a command line parameter to the script.
But here I confess to being less confident and just throwing out ideas.
Hope all this helps someone. It actually helped me to write it all down. Thanks and cheers!
Update 2009-09-29: Just ran across this article: Using Zend Framework from the Command Line
Update 2009-11-20: And another article: Cron jobs in Zend Framework | GS Design
Update 2010-02-25: Easy command line scripts with Zend Application - David Caunt
What solution would you recommend for including files in a PHP project?
There aren't manual calls of require/include functions - everything loads through autoload functions
Package importing, when needed.
Here is the package importing API:
import('util.html.HTMLParser');
import('template.arras.*');
In this function declaration you can explode the string with dots (package hierarchy delimeter), looping through files in particular package (folder) to include just one of them or all of them if the asterisk symbol is found at the end of the string, e.g. ('template.arras.*').
One of the benefits I can see in package importing method, is that it can force you to use better object decomposition and class grouping.
One of the drawbacks I can see in autoload method - is that autoload function can become very big and not very obvious/readable.
What do you think about it?
What benefits/drawbacks can you name in each of this methods?
How can I find the best solution for the project?
How can I know if there will be any performance problems if package management is used?
I use __autoload() extensively. The autload function that we use in our application has a few tweaks for backwards compatibility of older classes, but we generally follow a convention when creating new classes that allow the autoload() to work fairly seemlessly:
Consistent Class Naming: each class in its own file, each class is named with camel-case separated by an underscore. This maps to the class path. For example, Some_CoolClass maps to our class directory then 'Some/CoolClass.class.php'. I think some frameworks use this convention.
Explicitly Require External Classes: since we don't have control over the naming of any external libraries that we use, we load them using PHP's require_once() function.
The import method is an improvement but still loads up more than needed.
Either by using the asterisk or loading them up in the beginning of the script (because importing before every "new Classname" will become cumbersome)
I'm a fan of __autoload() or the even better spl_autoload_register()
Because it will include only the classes you're using and the extra benefit of not caring where the class is located. If your colleges moves a file to another directory you are not effected.
The downside is that it need additional logic
to make it work properly with directories.
I use require_once("../path-to-auto-load-script.php.inc") with auto load
I have a standard naming convention for all classes and inc files which makes it easier to programaticaly determine what class name is currently being requested.
for example, all classes have a certain extension like inc.php (so I know that they'll be in the /cls directory)
and
all inc files start with .ht (so they'll be in the /inc directory)
auto load accepts one parameter: className, which I then use to determine where the file is actually located. looping once I know what my target directory is, each time adding "../" to account for sub sub pages, (which seemed to break auto load for me) and finally require_once'ing the actual code file once found.
I strongly suggest doing the following instead:
Throw all your classes into a static array, className => filepath/classFile. The auto load function can use that to load classes.
This ensures that you always load the minimum amount of files. This also means you avoid completely silly class names, and parsing of said names.
If it's slow, you can throw on some accelerator, and that will gain you a whole lot more, if it still is slow, you can run things through a 'compile' process, where often used files are just dumped into common files, and the autoload references can be updated to point to the correct place.
If you start running into issues where your autoloading is too slow, which I find hard to believe, you can split that up according to packages, and have multiple autoloading functions, this way only subsets of the array are required, this works best if your packages are defined around modules of your software (login, admin, email, ...)
I'm not a fan of __autoload(). In a lot of libraries (some PEAR libraries, for instance), developersuse class_exists() without passing in the relatively new second parameter. Any legacy code you have could also have this issue. This can cause warnings and errors if you have an __autoload() defined.
If your libraries are clear though, and you don't have legacy code to deal with, it's a fantastic tool. I sometimes wish PHP had been a little smarter about how they managed the behavior of class_exists(), because I think the problem is with that functionality rather than __autoload().
Rolling your own packaging system is probably a bad idea. I would suggest that you go with explicit manual includes, or with autoload (or a combination for that matter).