Best PHP Framework

You're either eager or aggressive right now with a post title like that. Over at the LinkedPHPers LinkedIn Group, the inevitable question was asked. Many were suggested (see http://phpframeworks.com/ for examples) but there was no consensus and I don't expect there will ever be.

What is important is that you can compile a narrow list of frameworks so that you can actually try them. You may come to some immediate conclusions that have nothing to do with features or popularity, e.g. framework X is not compatible with your development environment or framework Y has a steep learning curve that you are struggling with.

A generic primer in MVC or other design patterns would be a better start to get newbies in the right "frame" of mind. Save some room in your head for framework-specific terminology and conventions for these patterns. For someone new to coding and PHP, grasping Object Oriented Programming (OOP) is also another starting point. You don't have to be an expert in these, but your understanding of base framework aspects will surely increase.

Great communities around these frameworks share similar stories from a range of experiences and will make an effort to help with specific issues. Once you get the hang of framework Z, you can always try out framework Y again or wait until you catch up with framework X.

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