Learning CodeIgniter PHP Framework
CodeIgniter is a great PHP framework, well-documented and very easy to learn for developers that already used other frameworks such as Symfony, CakePHP, Zend or PHP from scratch.
Organizing stuff to read
If you are interested in learning CodeIgniter, I’d recommend the following resources:
- CodeIgniter User guide. This is a must-read documentation for any new developer interested in CodeIgniter. By opening the Table of Content you can go chapter-by-chapter understanding the following concepts:
- Server requirements and installation.
- Getting started, CodeIgniter at a Glance, Supported features, Application Flow Chart to understand the application flow, MVC to understand Model-View-Controller design pattern if you are new to object oriented programming or patterns, and architectural goals.
- General Topics. Here you can find information regarding how CodeIgniter works, PHP Style Guide, Writing Documentation standard, Security topics, Libraries and more.
- Class Reference. Including dozens of classes that you need to understand which functions exposes.
- Helper Reference. Introduces many helpers that may speed or boost your development process.
Learning by examples
Looking for examples may help you to learn CodeIgniter.
Setting up Codeigniter, as seen in If Only I Knew That! blog. Step by step guide that shows you how to setup a CodeIgniter installation and
A Gentle Introduction to CodeIgniter, from EEInsider, explains how MVC design pattern works in CI (controller, models and views).
Getting started with CodeIgniter, from IBM, explains how to create MVC applications quickly and easily.
From my point of view, the first time I learned CodeIgniter was reviewing the source code of BambooInvoice, an open source invoicing application (created by Derek Allard).
Other resources
Here is a list of additional resources that may help you in the process of learning CodeIgniter framework. TheFuzzOne published here a list of resources with tutorials and information for newbies as well as intermediate developers.
The forum is a key resource too, on CodeIgniter forum you can find solutions to common problems. It is recommended to search for an specific problem/solution before asking a new question or opening a new thread, since most of the typical problems new developers have, are actually resolved and explained with a solution.
Probably one of the most used and useful threads there is the Code and Application Development thread.
MVC and CRUD related threads.
