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diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/overview/at_a_glance.rst b/user_guide_src/source/overview/at_a_glance.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..df4e3ca06 --- /dev/null +++ b/user_guide_src/source/overview/at_a_glance.rst @@ -0,0 +1,106 @@ +####################### +CodeIgniter at a Glance +####################### + +CodeIgniter is an Application Framework +======================================= + +CodeIgniter is a toolkit for people who build web applications using +PHP. Its goal is to enable you to develop projects much faster than you +could if you were writing code from scratch, by providing a rich set of +libraries for commonly needed tasks, as well as a simple interface and +logical structure to access these libraries. CodeIgniter lets you +creatively focus on your project by minimizing the amount of code needed +for a given task. + +CodeIgniter is Free +=================== + +CodeIgniter is licensed under an Apache/BSD-style open source license so +you can use it however you please. For more information please read the +:doc:`license agreement <../license>`. + +CodeIgniter is Light Weight +=========================== + +Truly light weight. The core system requires only a few very small +libraries. This is in stark contrast to many frameworks that require +significantly more resources. Additional libraries are loaded +dynamically upon request, based on your needs for a given process, so +the base system is very lean and quite fast. + +CodeIgniter is Fast +=================== + +Really fast. We challenge you to find a framework that has better +performance than CodeIgniter. + +CodeIgniter Uses M-V-C +====================== + +CodeIgniter uses the Model-View-Controller approach, which allows great +separation between logic and presentation. This is particularly good for +projects in which designers are working with your template files, as the +code these file contain will be minimized. We describe MVC in more +detail on its own page. + +CodeIgniter Generates Clean URLs +================================ + +The URLs generated by CodeIgniter are clean and search-engine friendly. +Rather than using the standard "query string" approach to URLs that is +synonymous with dynamic systems, CodeIgniter uses a segment-based +approach:: + + example.com/news/article/345 + +Note: By default the index.php file is included in the URL but it can be +removed using a simple .htaccess file. + +CodeIgniter Packs a Punch +========================= + +CodeIgniter comes with full-range of libraries that enable the most +commonly needed web development tasks, like accessing a database, +sending email, validating form data, maintaining sessions, manipulating +images, working with XML-RPC data and much more. + +CodeIgniter is Extensible +========================= + +The system can be easily extended through the use of your own libraries, +helpers, or through class extensions or system hooks. + +CodeIgniter Does Not Require a Template Engine +============================================== + +Although CodeIgniter *does* come with a simple template parser that can +be optionally used, it does not force you to use one. Template engines +simply can not match the performance of native PHP, and the syntax that +must be learned to use a template engine is usually only marginally +easier than learning the basics of PHP. Consider this block of PHP code:: + + <ul> <?php foreach ($addressbook as $name):?> <li><?=$name?></li> <?php endforeach; ?> </ul> + +Contrast this with the pseudo-code used by a template engine:: + + <ul> {foreach from=$addressbook item="name"} <li>{$name}</li> {/foreach} </ul> + +Yes, the template engine example is a bit cleaner, but it comes at the +price of performance, as the pseudo-code must be converted back into PHP +to run. Since one of our goals is *maximum performance*, we opted to not +require the use of a template engine. + +CodeIgniter is Thoroughly Documented +==================================== + +Programmers love to code and hate to write documentation. We're no +different, of course, but since documentation is **as important** as the +code itself, we are committed to doing it. Our source code is extremely +clean and well commented as well. + +CodeIgniter has a Friendly Community of Users +============================================= + +Our growing community of users can be seen actively participating in our +`Community Forums <http://codeigniter.com/forums/>`_. |