Learn Codeigniter

CodeIgniter is a powerful and versatile PHP framework that has been a cornerstone in web development for over a decade. Launched in 2006 by EllisLab and now maintained by the British Columbia Institute of Technology, CodeIgniter has evolved into a widely used tool for building web applications, thanks to its simplicity, efficiency, and a vibrant community of developers. In this essay, we will delve into the world of CodeIgniter, exploring its history, key features, advantages, and its role in shaping modern web development.

The Evolution of CodeIgniter

CodeIgniter’s journey began as an open-source project by EllisLab, aimed at simplifying PHP web application development. Its initial release was met with enthusiasm by developers due to its lean and straightforward approach. Over the years, it has seen multiple updates and versions, with the most notable transition occurring in 2014 when EllisLab handed over the project to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).

Under the stewardship of BCIT, CodeIgniter has continued to thrive and evolve. The framework is now known for its stability, security, and compatibility with PHP 7 and beyond, making it a reliable choice for developers seeking to build robust web applications.

Key Features of CodeIgniter

1. MVC Architecture: CodeIgniter follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern, which promotes a clear separation of concerns. This separation enhances code readability, maintainability, and scalability.
2. Lightweight and Fast: CodeIgniter is known for its minimalistic footprint, making it lightweight and exceptionally fast. This efficiency is crucial for delivering high-performance web applications.
3. Flexible URL Routing: The framework offers a simple and efficient routing mechanism, allowing developers to define custom URL structures and routes. This feature contributes to user-friendly URLs and better SEO.
4. Database Abstraction: CodeIgniter provides a robust database abstraction layer, supporting multiple database systems. Developers can work with databases using familiar SQL queries or an active record pattern.
5. Form and Data Validation: It includes built-in form validation and data validation libraries, simplifying the process of ensuring data integrity and security.
6. Security Features: CodeIgniter incorporates a variety of security features, including input validation, XSS filtering, and CSRF protection, reducing common security vulnerabilities in web applications.
7. Built-in Libraries and Helpers: The framework offers a plethora of pre-built libraries and helpers for common tasks like file uploading, email sending, and session management, saving developers time and effort.
8. Template Engine: CodeIgniter uses a template engine, enabling the creation of reusable views, making it easier to maintain consistent layouts across the application.

Advantages of Using CodeIgniter

1. Rapid Development: CodeIgniter’s simplicity and ease of use allow developers to accelerate the development process significantly. This makes it an excellent choice for projects with tight deadlines.
2. Community Support: The CodeIgniter community is vast and active. Developers can find a wealth of resources, tutorials, and forums to seek help, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects.
3. Scalability: Its modular approach makes it easy to extend and scale applications as they grow. Developers can add libraries, helpers, and third-party packages to enhance functionality.
4. Cross-Platform Compatibility: CodeIgniter works seamlessly across different platforms and hosting environments, making it versatile for various hosting providers.
5. Documentation: The framework boasts extensive and well-structured documentation, aiding developers in learning and mastering its features.
6. Cost-Effective: Being open-source, CodeIgniter reduces development costs by eliminating the need for expensive licenses or subscriptions.
7. Security: Its built-in security features help safeguard applications against common web vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of data breaches and attacks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, CodeIgniter has cemented its place as a reliable and efficient PHP framework for web development. Its journey from its inception in 2006 to its current state reflects its enduring popularity and the trust of the developer community. CodeIgniter’s simplicity, speed, security features, and a dedicated community make it a preferred choice for projects ranging from small websites to complex web applications.

As web development continues to evolve, CodeIgniter remains a steadfast companion for developers seeking a pragmatic and effective toolset. With its robust foundation and commitment to excellence, CodeIgniter is poised to continue shaping the future of web development for years to come.

More Details:

CodeIgniter is a powerful PHP framework. It has powerful features. It provides a simple and elegant toolkit to create full-featured web applications. Its predefined toolkit coding files sizes only to few MBs and so CodeIgniter performs exceptionally fast. CodeIgniter encourages MVC (or Model View Controller structure) for its implementation.

CodeIgniter also provides built-in protection against CSRF and XSS attacks. As a addition to security, it also provides context-sensitive escaping and Content Security Policy(CSP).

It has pre-defined documentation and how to guides to understand different components that make up the framework. Components have pre-defined rules and configuration so there is little more needed to modify options as per the need of project.

Latest version of CodeIgniter requires latest version of PHP installed. CodeIgniter supports following databases:

• MySQL
• Oracle
• PostgreSQL
• MSSQL
• SQLite
• CUBRID
• Interbase/Firebird
• ODBC

To install codeIgniter you can download it manually from the CodeIgniter website or you can install it in your project folder using Composer command.

CodeIgniter Installation

1) Go to codeiginiter.com and install latest version of codeigniter.
2) Download and install XAMPP
3) Download and install Atom
4) Run Xampp’s Apache server
5) In Atom, install command line package
6) In Atom, install ‘Script’ package.
7) Run composer installation commands in Atom from:
https://codeigniter4.github.io/userguide/installation/installing_composer.html
(If you get error php is not recognized, do following:
In you system (Windows 10) , search and right click on ‘This PC’, click properties.
Search ‘Edit the system environment variables’.
In advanced tab, click on ‘Environment variables’ button. Click ‘New’ and add PHP.exe file path. Add path of PHP file: C/XAMPP/PHP/PHP.exe
After that close atom and open it again. And try running composer installation commands again.)
8) Run CodeIgniter installation from:
https://codeigniter4.github.io/userguide/tutorial/index.html
It will make CodeIgniter run on browser by typing address localhost:8080/

Move CodeIgniter project from Windows local setup to Online server

1) If you are moving it to server, create zip file of all these files and upload zip file on host and extract it.
2) Index file is in Public folder. So in root directory, there is need to give path in .htdocs file, add this line at bottom to point to that file:

DirectoryIndex /public/index.php

(Any errors can be seen in public/error_log text file.)

3) In /app/Config/App.php file, add public $baseURL = ‘https://yourwebsitename.com/’
It will make the website run on your website domain name.

(If it shows 500 error, upgrade latest version of PHP on server for this domain.)
4) Create a new database on server and in database.php file, you can enter database login details.

5) Further detailed steps on working on CodeIgniter can be read further here: https://codeigniter.com/user_guide/tutorial/index.html

6) When adding multiple pages on live server, there is need to add this code on top of .htdocs file, in root directory:

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} /public/([^\s?]*) [NC]
RewriteRule ^ %1 [L,NE,R=302]

RewriteRule ^((?!public/).*)$ public/$1 [L,NC]

Codeigniter coding tutorial: https://codeigniter.com/user_guide/tutorial/index.html

Watch a demo project created in CodeIgniter. Contact for tasks in CodeIgniter.