Introduction
Take a list of the top 10 PHP frameworks and you will find CodeIgniter in it. Also, if you check the CodeIgniter usage statistics, around 572,728 live websites use CodeIgniter, of which 269,141 sites are in the United States alone. Another interesting statistic suggests that 42% of the web framework market is dominated by CodeIgniter. So, what exactly is CodeIgniter and why is it a rage in the digital world?
What is CodeIgniter?
CodeIgniter is a PHP framework used for web application development. It is an open-source framework that helps you build dynamic and interactive websites. Furthermore, CodeIgniter is known for its ability to simplify and quicken the web development process. The Codeigniter tutorial is a comprehensive documentation to help you get started with how a basic CodeIgniter application is constructed.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2006 | CodeIgniter was created by EllisLab as a response to the complexity of existing PHP frameworks. |
| 2006 | Version 1.0 was released, providing a lightweight and easy-to-use alternative for PHP developers. |
| 2011 | Version 2.0 was released, bringing significant improvements, including better support for PHP 5. |
| 2014 | EllisLab handed over CodeIgniter’s development to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). |
| 2015 | Version 3.0 was released, improving performance, adding PHP 7 support, and including features like namespaces. |
| 2020 | CodeIgniter 4.0 was officially released, introducing modern features like PSR-4 autoloading and better compatibility with contemporary PHP practices. |
| 2022 | CodeIgniter 4.2 was released with highlighted features like improved auto-routing. |
| 2023 | CodeIgniter 4.2 was released with over 50 enhancements. |
| 2024 | CodeIgniter v4.5.0 was officially released on 25 April. |
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Top 11 reasons companies choose CodeIgniter for website development
Builds Websites Faster with Ready-Made Pieces
CodeIgniter is like a toolbox for creating websites using PHP. It provides pre-built components for common tasks and a user-friendly way to use them. Moreover, instead of starting from scratch, you can leverage these components to develop your website more efficiently.
No Cost and Open to Everyone
CodeIgniter is a free tool. Thus, this is great for businesses looking for affordable ways to create websites. Since it’s open to everyone, you don’t need to pay for special permissions.
Simple Setup
CodeIgniter is known for being easy to set up. It follows a simple and clear plan. To start using it, you just need to download the latest version, do a few things to set it up, and then you’re ready to start working on your website.
Clean and Search-Engine Friendly URLs
CodeIgniter generates clean website links. Instead of complex and messy URLs, it uses simple and descriptive ones. This, thus, makes it more favorable for search engines. Additionally, you can remove the “index.php” part from your website’s URL if you prefer cleaner addresses.
Safety First
Staying safe on the internet is really important. CodeIgniter helps with that. It has built-in tools to keep your website safe from online threats. These tools help protect the information on your website. The tool also helps manage data securely, thus keeping your website safe from hackers.
Less Code, Better Outcome
CodeIgniter lets you create web apps with minimum code. This means you’re likely to make fewer mistakes, thus, resulting in fewer problems to fix later. Less code also means your website will work faster because there’s less stuff for the computer to process. So, your website will be quick and efficient.
SEO-friendly Approach
For businesses, having a high-ranking website is important. It helps bring in more visitors and revenue. CodeIgniter has features that can boost your website’s ranking in search engines. This means more people will find your website when they search online. You can hire a CodeIgniter developer to make a website that’s friendly for search engines.
Small but Powerful
CodeIgniter is a small tool. It’s only 2MB when you download it. Even though it’s small, it’s powerful on its own. Moreover, you don’t need to add other tools to make it work. Also, as it’s small, it takes up less space on your computer and runs faster.
Great Templates
Templates make web development faster. They’re like blueprints for websites. CodeIgniter has its own templates that help developers understand how to organize their projects. This makes planning your website’s layout easier from the beginning.
Customization and Extension
CodeIgniter can be extended and customized to meet specific project requirements. That is you can add your own components or modify how the framework functions. This adaptability, thus, makes CodeIgniter suitable for various types of projects.
Also, using CodeIgniter can make web development simpler and more efficient. It’s free, secure, requires less code, and offers helpful features for better web apps.
Testing Made Better
The new version of CodeIgniter is better for testing your web apps. Testing is like checking if everything works properly. With this new feature, testing becomes easier and more efficient. It helps developers figure out how well different parts of the app are working and find better ways to do things.
Top Companies that have used CodeIgniter
- Accenture
- Esummarizer.com
- BirdView
- Ola
- WISESIGHT
- Buffer
- Khmer24.com
- SocialDog
- Casio
Final Thoughts – What’s the future of CodeIgniter in the PHP World?
The rapid advancements in the digital world call for frameworks like CodeIgniter to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of web development. While CodeIgniter has been a popular framework in the past, newer PHP frameworks like Laravel and Symfony have gained traction due to their modern features and robust ecosystems. So, to remain relevant, CodeIgniter might need to focus on improving its compatibility with the latest PHP versions. It should also incorporate modern development practices and, more importantly, enhance its community support and documentation. Having said that, CodeIgniter has gained popularity because of its stability and small footprint. It continues to be one of the top choices for developers because of its simplicity and ease of use. If you are a CodeIgniter developer looking for projects that match your skills, sign up with Olibr now to learn more!
Frequently Asked Questions
Using CodeIgniter offers the advantage of faster development. It also streamlines coding for web applications, thanks to its built-in tools and adherence to the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern.
When it comes to popularity, CodeIgniter follows closely after Laravel. Moreover, developers appreciate CodeIgniter for its simplicity and efficiency in building strong web applications.
CodeIgniter offers fast development, follows MVC architecture, and has a lightweight footprint.
Yes, but for larger projects, you might consider other frameworks with more advanced features.
Absolutely, CodeIgniter’s simplicity makes it great for small to medium-sized projects.
Yes, there is a community that provides resources, tutorials, and assistance for CodeIgniter developers.
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