Building a web application similar to Flickr, Yahoo, Facebook, or Friendster is all possible with the growth in PHP framework technologies. Over the years, PHP has transformed into a core programming language. It boosts the development work from scratch for an incredible performance. In addition to that, PHP powers over 200 million websites with remarkable features for users.
And, when it is about making a selection for the top-rated PHP framework, Codeigniter is the most popular one to select. But for developers making a selection between CodeIgniter 3 Vs CodeIgniter 4 is a challenging task. Yes, there are several debates regarding a better choice. Now, let’s end the discussion and see the core differences between the two. Here, we have explained about the framework initially for better understanding.
CodeIgniter is a reputed PHP framework used by developers to build feature-rich web applications. It is the first choice of CodeIgniter eCommerce development among the business brands. It offers great stability and supports basic routing approach. In addition, it has caching feature for improved performance and fast loading. With the presence of third-party plugins it is easy to implement complex functionalities with complete encryption procedures.
1 - PHP Versions
For CodeIgniter 4 the minimum PHP version required is 7.2, while CodeIgniter 3 can be used from version 5.6.
2 - Directory Organization
The file structure is completely unique. CodeIgniter 4 has its structure managed in 5 directories: /app,/system,/public,/writable,/tests. On the other hand, CodeIgniter 3 is managed in 2 directories:/applicationand/system.
3 - Use of Namespaces
CodeIgniter 4 is powered by PHP 7 and makes use of namespaces, while CodeIgniter 3 does not use namespaces.
4 - Auto-Loading
CodeIgniter 4 has an efficient auto loading process, and one of the main factors that help is the use of namespaces. On the other hand, CodeIgniter 3 requires manual configuration of most of the files to be loaded.
5 - Use of Entities
CodeIgniter 4 has official support for the use of Entities helping to structure the database part of a web application, representing the current columns in the tables. CodeIgniter 3 lacks this feature and anyone who required using it need to install third-party libraries and make adjustments to the file upload to assist it.
6 - Performance
CodeIgniter 4 implements PHP 7 in writing and requires minimum configuration on the server, thus improves performance in comparison to CodeIgniter 3. You can consult professional CodeIgniter developers to implement its features for web application development.
7 - Monolithic Libraries
Unlike CodeIgniter 3, in this latest version the implementation of monolithic libraries in the PEAR style is null.
8 - Settings
With CodeIgniter 4, the initial settings are minimal, while in CodeIgniter 3 it was essential to perform a multiple configurations.
9 - Native Support for .env files
CodeIgniter 4 has official support for .env files, allowing an optimization of the settings of the different environments where it may be running. This feature did not exist natively in CodeIgniter 3.
10 - Migration
CodeIgniter 4 is not backward compatible, thus the approach of updating web application from version 3 to version 4 will need a little more work, but it is not complex.
Wrapping Up:
From the above it is clear to analyze that CodeIgniter 4 is far better than its old version in every aspect. When you are planning to build web application with CodeIgniter Framework make sure you select the latest version. This will definitely help you to achieve desired business results and make you competitive.