Skills for a webapp with a MVC framework (also looking for a Mentor)

[Party Monger]

Hello, Im looking to learn a MVC Framework. I know basic HTML and CSS. Have worked a bit with Bootstrap too ( bit.ly/1fwGcJn ) Could someone tell me what other skills I'll require to be able to create full blown webapps and how much time it would take to learn them? Just to get an idea.

I'm guessing -
1) Javascript
2) Php
3) SQL
4) And something like Backbone.js ?

Anything else?

Do give your more feedback. For MVC framework i'm looking at Laravel. It's got some amazing buzz around it. And seems very convenient from my newbie POV.

Also if someone is experienced, and willing to mentor through the learning phase (I know how to search, wont be bothering you much) I'd be grateful.

 

[challapradyumna]

My personal opinion :
I just saw the introduction documentation for Laravel framework . I have been using Codeigniter since 3 years and the learning curve for laravel seems to be very steep . It has ORM , templating engine etc . I like to write queries directly rather than this active record and ORM stuff . I do not know much about the templating engine Laravel is using but i have worked on sites using Smarty and it is exactly not very convenient using it , i'd rather write pure PHP . But that's me . I recommend to look into codeigniter to get a idea about MVC without that complex stuff . Then when you have undestood the basic concept you can move on to whatever framework you want.

 

[rajkumar_pb]

+1 for CodeIgniter. I have tried many but CodeIgniter has less learning curve and better in terms of performance too. And most of all, Codeigniter has full blown community support unlike Laravel, which means wherever you stuck, someone out is there to help you.

 

[Party Monger]

@challapradyumna - There are much easier guides out there. But thanks for taking a look. They are working on simplifying the documentation! Also I dont mind learning a bit more as I'm just starting up. As long as it makes my life easier for the rest of the time

@rajkumar_pb Thanks mate. I've heard codeigniter is a very lightweight and simple mvc. But i've also heard that its stagnating a lot now. I was looking for something that would be robust.

Any other inputs guys? I'm learing php as we speak. Arrays are totally chewing my brains off.

 

[deltasquare4]

I have recently finished my first application in Laravel 4. While it combines best practices from many platforms (modular approach, built-in unit test support, rake-like build tool etc.), it also brings its fair share of "magic" to the codebase. By "magic", I mean the framework glue that's hard to understand and explain. For that reason itself, I'd recommend starting with CodeIgniter first. As you build a few applications and start understanding how things work, it'll be easier to switch to laravel.

Just my two cents.

 

[challapradyumna]

So , since my last reply in this thread i have started learning and simultaneously coding a site in laravel . Initially it was a bit hard to understand how composer works and how the routes work but once i got hold of how things work in general it is a breeze to develop . The form validator is really powerful and easy to use .The other very interesting thing was that we can use different controllers for GET and PUT requests on the same route . That said it is not the newbie friendly IMO .I still recommend to start with codeigniter for people who are just starting with PHP MVC frameworks .

 

[avi]

Since you are learning PHP, I assume you are new to it. So I am gonna say right away, f-ck PHP. Forget that shit. Give a try to Python.

PS - I hate PHP and love Python.

 

[blkrb0t]

Since you are learning PHP, I assume you are new to it. So I am gonna say right away, f-ck PHP. Forget that shit. Give a try to Python.

PS - I hate PHP and love Python.

Why not both? Or all three, including Ruby?

Here's something interesting I found while searching around for what to learn (I just learn in my free time; coding is strictly not part of what I do for a living)

 

[avi]

all three ? why ?

 

[Party Monger]

Thanks guys. Im sticking to php and laravel for now. It took me a year to decide what to learn(hilarious but this is not my primary domain) and now im not changing anytime soon

 

[random2]

Thanks guys. Im sticking to php and laravel for now. It took me a year to decide what to learn(hilarious but this is not my primary domain) and now im not changing anytime soon

Thats a good idea. I would say use whatever you are comfortable with. But always think of problems generically and try to learn other languages as and when you find time.

 

[rajkumar_pb]

As a developer, we are building web applications using Spring, Groovy and Python. So it is not new to learn more than 1 language. The main idea behind using more than one language is to take advantage of benefits offered by each platform. Some module works best with python, some works good with groovy. Just my 2 cents.

And also, to become a good developer, getting to know beyond your comfortable zone is important. You don't want yourself labelled as PHP Expert, whereas you can excel in many other languages. Give it a thought.