Symfony, a PHP framework for web projects and micro-applications

Developed by the French company SensioLabs and by all the contributors of this open-source project, Symfony is a free, powerful, world-renowned MVC (Model-View-Controller) framework that is in the TOP 3 of open source PHP frameworks worldwide. It is used in France by a large majority of PHP developers.

Thanks to its modular and adaptable features, it allows to facilitate and accelerate the development of a website. Symfony is a 100% backend framework (the hidden part of the website or application), even if some features are implemented to facilitate the frontend (the visible part of the website or application). Without it, it is difficult to make a website work. The latest version of Symfony (version 6.1) was released in May 2022.

Benefits and advantages of Symfony

• Customized

Symfony is a framework made of a set of components. It is powerful, secure, customizable and constantly evolving. Thanks to its programming method, its clear design and its readability, this framework is easy to use. The use of bundles and components makes it a perfect solution for websites and applications of any size and complexity.

• Scalability

To improve productivity, Symfony creates a code base that can be modified at will and provides a command line interface. There are many bundles that can be integrated to Symfony (such as SfEasyMapPlugin which allows to integrate Google Map geolocation, Easyadmin and Sonataadmin on the administration side), making application programming easier. Moreover, Symfony is multilingual and integrates all programming standards. 

• Ease and speed

This ease of use allows developers to work on this framework efficiently, with complete peace of mind. Thus, the advantage of using this PHP framework for your web projects is the speed of creation, the maintainability as well as the performance. 

• Security

In Symfony, security control is simple and advanced. This framework has several security options such as SecurityBundle which provides you with all the necessary authentication and authorization features to secure your connection and browsing. There is also Doctrine or Propel to interact with your database.

Symfony compared to other technologies

Symfony is not the only solution to build a website or mobile application. Indeed, there are several: frameworks (a set of tools and software components that establish the foundations of a software/website) as well as CMS ("Content Management System", a software that allows to create, manage and update websites or mobile applications). We can compare Symfony to these :

- Laravel

Laravel is a PHP framework mainly known for its reduced development time with a simple coding approach. While Symfony relies on the universal PHP code, Laravel uses PHP features and modules supporting a smaller and more understandable syntax.

Laravel has good documentation, allows integration of applications with the most popular and widely used messaging services via API and quick time to market. Only, this framework has some drawbacks: it has no support for the payment function, the deployment of versions is not continuous, the result is not consistent at times and it is not optimized enough to provide a mobile application experience.

- Wordpress

Wordpress is a CMS whose philosophy is to make blogging accessible to all, that is to say, to allow to build a simple website through an intuitive interface. It can be used by people with little technical experience.

Wordpress offers basic functionalities, design templates to import as well as extensions that allow you to add functionalities very quickly. This CMS is easy to use, it has an intuitive and ergonomic interface, multiple extensions and a speed of development at limited cost. But there are also drawbacks: it is not secure and requires regular updates. Moreover, among the many plugins offered, some are not compatible with each other.

- Drupal 

Drupal is not a framework but a CMS that is suitable for design or development professionals who are looking for a more robust platform than WordPress for example. It has many more powerful features and is more complex. 

The possibility of integration with PHP modules poses a limit to customization. However, Drupal is not suitable for hobbyists, people who want to create a website for themselves or professionals who have tight deadlines. The learning curve can be a very big hurdle and is sometimes not worth it.

Our expertise

We have been supporting Symfony for almost 10 years now. Thanks to its system of "logical bricks", Symfony embeds modules that quickly meet the major needs of our applications, for a quick and efficient start. More simply, Symfony allows us to focus on business logic.

It is also thanks to this modular aspect that we are able to meet the wide range of needs of our customers, from "light" applications (such as showcase or institutional sites) to more complex solutions.

At Ylly, we encourage initiative. That's why one of our young recruits proposed our first intranet in Symfony, her goal being to design a tool to update our corporate signature by communicating with Google APIs.

Our experts can design their own bundles, in order to solve a specific problem that can't be solved elsewhere but that can be encountered on other projects. In addition, our experts pay particular attention to code quality, content integration, continuous deployment, Docker and Green IT. 

With Symfony and the powerful tools it offers, Ylly has the possibility to answer more problems in eclectic domains, while improving its own system thanks to a strong emulation. 

Symfony's strength is also Ylly's strength!

To learn more about our Symfony expertise, contact us!