If i could add something i would say that Zend Framework is probably still the nicest components library for php (considering its size).

On the other hand it lacks interfaces, uses way too many static calls and has bloated APIs. Some of the components would benefit from breaking them down into smaller units with simple responsibility.

All very good points especially on lack of dependency management.

It was always features first performance later, but its a chicken and the egg issue and you can’t deal fully with one without thinking of the other.

http://www.phpjack.com/content/zend-framework-performance

RE: A standard Zend Framework application requires the following components: Zend_Controller, Zend_Uri, Zend_Registry, Zend_Loader, Zend_Config, Zend_Layout, Zend_View, Zend_Filter, Zend_Validate, Zend_Db, Zend_Form, Zend_Paginator and Zend_Exception.

I find it hard to believe that a standard ZF app requires Zend_Paginator, since it won’t be released until 1.6. ;)

The Zend_Container proposal is very interesting, as was yours. We’ll be watching this proposal closely to see if the community can come to a consensus on the value and required complexity of such a DI container.

BTW, it’s all but decided that Zend’s contributions to 1.7 will be primarily- if not exclusively- performance fixes. Well, performance fixes and more development of Zend_Tool. :) I know that performance testing and optimization is a big investment and is very important to ZF’ers, so I think it will give the Zend-employed ZF’ers a good chance to evaluate key components very closely with no functionality/optimization effort tradeoffs before them.

Of course, namespace support is a likely feature in ZF 2.0, but I can tell you it will be at least a few months before we start the 2.0 discussions in earnest.

,Wil

If you want to reduce coupling between components, I’d recommend using a local container. That’s why I think Zend_Container is the one to watch. The purpose of this component is to replace the use of singletons and Zend_Registry. More info here.