Learn CAKEPHP with Real Code Examples

CakePHP follows MVC architecture to separate concerns between data, business logic, and presentation.

Emphasizes convention-over-configuration, reducing repetitive code.

Includes an ORM (Cake ORM) for simplified database interaction.

Provides helpers and components for common tasks like forms, sessions, and authentication.

Supports rapid, secure, and maintainable PHP web application development.

Models with ORM, validation, and associations

Controllers handling requests and using components

Views with templates and helpers

Bake CLI for generating models, controllers, and views

Plugin system for modular and reusable code

Model - interacts with the database

View - renders output for users

Controller - handles application logic and requests

Component - reusable controller functionality

Helper - reusable view functionality

src/Model - application models and ORM logic

src/Controller - controllers

src/View - templates and helpers

config/ - configuration files

plugins/ - optional modular extensions

Create models for database tables

Define controllers to handle requests

Design views for output using templates and helpers

Use Bake CLI to scaffold CRUD operations

Test locally and iterate with incremental changes

Beginner: build a simple CRUD web app

Intermediate: manage multi-table relationships with ORM

Advanced: develop REST APIs with authentication

Expert: create modular apps with plugins and complex associations

Architect: enterprise applications with large-scale, maintainable code

CakePHP vs Laravel - convention-driven vs modern features

CakePHP vs Symfony - lightweight, faster conventions vs flexible configuration

CakePHP vs CodeIgniter - full-stack MVC vs micro-framework simplicity

CakePHP vs Yii - opinionated conventions vs flexible options

CakePHP vs Slim - full-stack MVC vs micro-framework for APIs

2005 - CakePHP initially created by Michal Tatarynowicz

2006 - CakePHP 1.0 official release

2008 - CakePHP 1.2 release with improved ORM and validation

2010 - CakePHP 1.3 release with enhanced security and helpers

2011 - CakePHP 2.0 major rewrite with PHP 5.3+ support

2015 - CakePHP 3.0 release with modern ORM, namespaces, and PSR support

2017 - CakePHP 3.5 introduces middleware, improved console tools

2019 - CakePHP 4.0 release with PHP 7.2+ support and new ORM features

2021 - CakePHP 4.3 introduces typed properties and enhanced performance

2023–2025 - Continuous improvements, security patches, and plugin ecosystem expansion

MVC - Model, View, Controller

Model - interacts with database

Controller - handles requests and logic

View - templates and UI rendering

Component - reusable controller logic