Zend is an open source object oriented web application framework written in PHP 5. It can be used as a component library, as a framework and to implement MVC model. It is now the most widely used PHP framework. It is being used by startups and major corporations alike.
Framework
A framework is a collection of documents or code which provides a set of rules and procedural steps to streamline and speed-up accomplishment of tasks in a specific domain. There are many different types of frameworks, software, conceptual, legal, etc. Zend is a web application framework. A web application framework is a subset of software framework.
Software framework
A software framework is a set of reusable set of libraries or classes which could be used in software development. It abstracts commonly used code so that programmers don't have to recode for the same functionality repeatedly. For example, code to convert date formats can be abstracted and provided by frameworks.
Web application framework
Web applications now form a significant portion of all the software being coded. A web application framework is a software framework specifically built to facilitate web development. Web application frameworks provide most of the functionalities provided by software framework and also provide libraries specific to web development such as caching, web security, session management, Ajax, database access, and other web development specific features.
Since Time Berners-Lee invented the web at CERN in 1989, web development has become ever more complex and it has become increasing interactive and feature-rich. This change has been driven by numerous technologies and programming languages which have come and gone. The most recent development in this domain is the arrival of content management systems (CMS) and frameworks.
Truly are numerous web application framework available today. Following are the better known ones:
- Java: Spring and Hibernate
- PHP: Zend, CodeIgniter, Symfony, CakePHP
- Python: Django
- Ruby: Ruby on Rails
Why Zend
Why should you use Zend? It is powerful, stable, relatively easy to configure and use. There is plenty of support available online. Is Zend better than all the frameworks I listed and did not list? Maybe. Its a matter of choice, expertise, taste, and your requirements. I think it is a good framework to learn and the knowledge you gain in Zend would help you in other frameworks as well.