Symfony vs. Laravel: which PHP framework to choose?

These two are most popular PHP frameworks . Both are solid, well-tested products, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Below, we explain how PHP frameworks work and for which projects it is best to use Laravel or Symfony.

What is PHP and what PHP frameworks exist?

The “Personal Home Page Tools”, as this language was initially called, allowed an HTML document to be mounted dynamically on the server in a simple way . Let's see what exactly this means.

HTML documents constitute the basis of the information found on the web. The actual content is structured by HTML tags . HTML becomes interesting when dynamic content is programmatically inserted into the static structure, and PHP was revolutionary precisely in this regard. While the static structure remains intact, dynamic information is added through code inserted between special “PHP tags.” For example, a user's name can appear in the welcome message:

The constant search for new functionalities for web applications, such as database connectivity, user authentication and form validation, led to the emergence of PHP web frameworks . Conceptually situated between a programming library and a content management system , the layers and components it contains are suitable for assembling larger systems. As time goes by, along with Laravel and Symfony, we can also name other solid PHP frameworks:

• CakePHP
• Symfony
• CodeIgniter
• Laminas Project, formerly Zend Framework
• Yii
• Laravel

Symfony vs. Laravel

The Laravel and Symfony PHP web frameworks have a lot in common. Both have been developed as open source projects and are suitable for creating server-based web applications . Laravel and Symfony use the “Model-View-Controller (MVC)” pattern to ensure separation of critical concerns. Requests to the web application are processed by a controller, which manages the data through the model and presents it in the view:

• Model: model and data management
• View: user interface
• Controller: It is between Model and view

Both Symfony and Laravel have contributed significantly to the development of the PHP ecosystem. Thus, important PHP-based technologies have emerged from both frameworks , which are also used in other projects. In particular, Symfony is famous for its modular structure of decoupled components. Even other PHP frameworks, such as Yii and Laravel, use Symfony components.

Composer provides a solid foundation for package management for PHP projects in Laravel and Symfony. In addition to the framework itself, other components can be installed and managed . Composer is available on all server operating systems, and offers the possibility of using, for example, PHP Composer on Ubuntu or PHP Composer on IONOS hosting packages.

Here, we are referring to the Laravel 4+ and Symfony 2/3 framework versions . Previous versions had a completely different structure.

Templates in Laravel and Symfony

PHP and its idea of ​​the “template” as a model that combines static and dynamic components was revolutionary. Previously, all HTML code had to be combined using a program that stringed together static parts and dynamically generated values. This approach was slow and error-prone because it was difficult to follow.

In addition to embedding code in static texts, includes contributed significantly to the success of PHP. The “include” command allows you to assemble a page from several pieces . This allows for coherent designs, such as several pages with different content, but with the same navigation menu.

Templating involves generating HTML documents from static templates and dynamic components . When using PHP directly as a templating language, serious disadvantages quickly appear, since HTML, PHP, SQL, CSS and JavaScript can be mixed within a PHP file and there is a lack of “separation of interests”, that is, they are not divided programs internally according to their objectives or interests. Additionally, security breaches can occur due to SQL injections and Cross Site Scripting (XSS).

To avoid these negative effects, Laravel and Symfony come with their own templating languages ​​that accept data and render HTML. A clean separation of interests is guaranteed ; the output is automatically cleaned by the so-called “escape”, thus avoiding code injection. Generated PHP or HTML documents can be temporarily cached.

The Symfony templating language (“Twig”) allows the creation of complex document families, including layouts, partials, and components. Twig contains many useful filters and functions and is based on easy-to-learn syntax. We dynamically create a list of users:

Laravel is based on the custom-designed “Blade” templating language. Unlike Twig, Blade templates can contain any PHP code . But, just like in Twig, expressions inside double brackets are evaluated and the result is output. The same example in Blade:

Web applications in Laravel and Symfony

Templates are sufficient for purely informational web pages without functionality. A page is mounted on the server when it is opened and displayed to visitors , and if you have a caching layer, you already have a workable solution. Web applications, however, require a broader concept.

A classic “Web 2.0” web application usually requires that users be able to connect, create and modify content . In other words, you need a database application that allows the most important CRUD operations. For this to work meaningfully for multiple users, resources are needed for authentication, rights management, and session management.

In principle, PHP contains the necessary building blocks . The language provides functions to access cookies, manage sessions, and more. You can also manage the connection to a database, the execution of queries and access to the values ​​of the HTTP request. However, few low-level abstract functions and global variables such as $_GET, $_POST and $_COOKIE are used.

In practice, custom software development company tended to repeatedly reinvent the same tools with each new web application. This resulted in many internal developments plagued by security loopholes and lack of documentation . What was missing was a standardized approach or a solid construction kit containing necessary high-quality components. The logical consequence was the appearance of web development frameworks.

An object-relational mapping (ORM) functions as an interface between object-oriented code and a relational database . A web application thrives on user interactions with data that changes over time. Typically, the application layer is written in an object-oriented programming language, while the storage layer is built around a relational database. As for Laravel and Symfony, both come with their own ORM implementation.

The ORM used in Symfony is called “Doctrine” and is managed as a separate project. Doctrine is based on the “Data Mapper” pattern and consists of several components; In addition to the ORM, there is also a cache layer . Laravel’s “Eloquent” ORM follows the “Active Records” pattern and is considered easier to use. Both ORMs can connect to a variety of different database backends.

App Scaffolding in Laravel and Symfony

Laravel and Symfony have their own command line interface (CLI) for project management . The CLI can be used, for example, for App Scaffolding. This is the automated construction of project structures, such as model-view-controller components or database models.

The Laravel CLI “artisan” and the Symfony “bin/console” command contain a variety of useful commands. Logically, a Laravel or Symfony application is required before you can access the CLI. For the initial installation of a Laravel or Symfony application, Composer is typically used.

Summary of advantages and disadvantages of Laravel 

and Symfony

Laravel and Symfony are established web frameworks. Laravel is considered simpler and more suitable for small projects. The easy learning curve and quick results have contributed to the success of this popular PHP framework.

Symfony is famous for its decoupled components . They can be used together as a web framework or individually as part of self-created software. While Laravel focuses on simplicity, Symfony strives for flexibility. This makes the framework more suitable for complex projects with special requirements.

Author Bio:

Glad you are reading this. I’m Yokesh Shankar, the COO at Sparkout Tech, one of the primary founders of a highly creative space. I’m more associated with digital transformation solutions for global issues. Nurturing in Fintech, Supply chain, AR VR solutions, Real estate, and other sectors vitalizing new-age technology, I see this space as a forum to share and seek information. Writing and reading give me more clarity about what I need.