Ever wanted to dynamically add functionality to services you retrieve fromyour DI container — without creating custom versions or long inheritancehierarchies? Do you want to do it in a simple, clear, and well structured way? If so,then tune into this episode and learn about delegator factories. They're anadvanced and very powerful technique for han…

Just a quick one to mention that the most recent post: What Does It Take ToStart Using Zend Expressive?, has been updated. It now covers the Composer scripts that come with projects created with theZend Expressive Skeleton Installer. Grab a cup of your favourite beverage, have a listen to the episode andfind out more about the Composer scripts that…

What does it take to start using Zend Expressive? That’s the question I askin the latest post on Master Zend Framework and discuss in this episode. Honestly, Zend Framework — and especially Zend Expressive — aren’t hard toget started with! So in this episode (and post) I set out to explode thatmyth. Along with that, I’ve got some community news, sp…

A quick, impromptu, episode to let you know that I’ve finished the firstmodule of the upcoming Zend Expressive Essentials course! I don’t mean to overload you with plugs about me, but I’m super excitedabout this course and that I’ve completed the first module. It’s not a big module, but it sets the scene and helps get things started! Grab a cup of …

In this episode, I’m super excited to announce that Pluralsight have givenme the go-ahead to create a new course: Zend Expressive Essentials! That’s right, a new course, based on the recently published book (of thesame name) Zend Expressive Essentials. If you boughtthe book, I’m confident you’ll be interested in taking the course. If you didn’t buy…

In this episode, I’m curious to find out what packages you use in your Zend Framework projects. This, as I go into in the episode, was prompted by what Jan Burkl said in his Middleware talk at PHP Day 2017, in Dresden, last weekend. So I’m keen to find out how your projects are composed, what packages you use by default, when Zend Framework (1, 2, …

In this episode, I’m having a quick post-mortem about the Zend ExpressiveEssentials book, which is now on sale. I’ve loved writing the book and the accompanying code, and I’m thrilledthat it’s selling so well. But it's always good, to be honest about whatdidn’t go so well, and where things could have gone better. In this episode, I do just that, in…

At long last, I’m excited to say that the Zend Expressive Essentials book is now on sale. It’s been a while in coming, but it’s here. If you weren’t aware that I was writing it, it’s a book that teaches the fundamentals of Zend Expressive so that you can begin building applications right away. It's a practical, hands-on approach, which shows you ju…

In this episode, come get a quick introduction to a very powerful feature in Zend ServiceManager, called Delegator Factories. Delegator Factories are: pretty much, a wrapper around a real factory: it allows us to either replace the actual service with a delegate or interact with an object produced by a factory before it is returned by the Zend\Serv…

In this episode, I share a progress update on the Zend ExpressiveEssentials book and course (which is soooo close to completion) and say alittle mea culpa (I’m sorry) for not being consistent with the podcast. Grab a cup of your favourite beverage, have a listen to the episode, andtweet me at @zfmastery with any questions. Questions/Comments/Sugges…

In this episode, we’re discussing the latest tutorial on Master ZendFramework that shows how to create a basic module in Zend Expressive. If you’ve never created a module before, or if you’re keen to get started,then this is the episode for you. You’ll learn the core dependencies that you’ll need to get started, alongwith the essential classes and …

In this episode, I’m not saying anything at all about Zend Framework, ZendExpressive — even PHP. Strange, hey? Why? Well, this is a quick episode to explain why the episode numbers aremissing a few in the sequence of late. Grab a cup of your favourite beverage, have a listen to the episode, andI’ll tell you everything. Questions/Comments/Suggestion…

In this episode, I have a question that I hope you can help me answer: Is this the right way to develop a Zend Expressive Module? Have a listen to the episode and let me know because I’m keen for yourthoughts. I’m creating a new module which will handle rendering staticpages in a Zend Expressive project. The question is, I’m not sure if the approac…

In this episode, I’m handing control over to you! That’s right, I wantto know what your favourite (or not so preferred) aspect of Zend Expressiveand/or Zend Framework are. Why? Because I want to continue improving the quality of the tutorials (asalways). And I can only do this by getting your input. So, grab a cup of your favourite beverage, have a…

In this episode, I’m discussing the latest tutorial: How to Migrate fromZend Expressive Version 1 to 2 with Command-Line Tooling Support. It picks up where the previous one left off, and shows, as the titleindicates, how to migrate Zend Expressive applications from version 1 to 2. I’m so excited about this tutorial, as it gets to showcase the ever-…

If you're getting a lot out of the Zend Expressive tutorials on Master Zend Framework, then you're going to love the new book and course that I'm creating! That's right — in case you've not heard, I'm working on a new book and course called Zend Expressive Essentials. It will teach you the essentials that you need to know to build applications with…

In this episode, I’m discussing the latest tutorial: Create Modules andMiddleware with Command-Line Tooling Support. As a bit of background, Zend Framework hasn't had the strongestcommand-line tooling and scaffolding support, in stark contrast, otherframeworks. However, that's all changed! In this tutorial, I’m walking you through how to use the Ze…

In this episode, I’m discussing the latest tutorial on the blog: How to GoFrom Development to Deployment with Docker. It’s a truly BLOCKBUSTER of a post, weighing in at 3,200 words, one farlarger than any other that I’ve written for the site. But don’t let the size put you off though. It’s broken down into foureasily digestible sections: Create & B…

In this episode, we’re talking about how to do rapid applicationprototyping and development with Zend Framework, by using theReflectionBasedAbstractFactory. If you’ve not heard of it, it makes Zend Framework more Laravel-like, by(largely) avoiding the need to create factories to instantiate classes. I’msure you’ll agree that this represents a MASSI…

In this episode, I’m talking, broadly, about the two latest tutorials onMaster Zend Framework; those being: How To Generate Class Factories The Easy Way with FactoryCreator How To Generate Dependency Configuration's Easily with ConfigDumper These tutorials begin the exploration of some excellent new features in thelatest version of Zend ServiceMana…

In this episode, we continue on the journey of Composer discovery,discussing the recent tutorial How To Use Forked Repositories In Composer,which dug deep into how to use forked repositories with Composer. This is a very compelling part of Composer, one which can make yourdevelopment life a breeze — if you let it. Not sure why you might? Have you e…

In this episode, we continue on the journey of Composer discovery,discussing the latest tutorial on Master Zend Framework,which dives deep into the scripts section of composer.json. Not heard of the scripts section? In a nutshell, it: Lets you automate all the thingsStops you having to remember commands with stacks of command line switches,options,…

In this episode, let’s look at one of the most essential tools in Zend Framework’s (and PHP’s) wider ecosystem - Composer. I’m sure you’ve heard of and used it. But how well do you really know it? Do you just know composer install, update, and require, and some of the composer.json configuration? Or do you really know it? In this series, you’re goi…

In this episode, I’m stepping back a bit from the usual flow and turningthe mic over to you. I’m keen to find out exactly what you want to learnabout Zend Framework, what the one feature is that you’re keen to knowabout. If there’s some way in which I can help you learn more effectively, moredeeply, I’d love to know. Grab a warm beverage, and come …

In this episode, I'm back, talking about the excellent packageInterop-Config by Sandro Keil. Interop-Config helps ensure that you have avalid configuration for your code. It can provide default options, as wellas enforce mandatory options, ensuring that it has a well laid outstructure, and is easy to understand. Grab a warm beverage, and come find …

In this episode, I'm really excited to continue on with the Developing with Docker series and show how to run tests in the environment which we've created. Grab a warm beverage, and find out more. Questions/Comments/Suggestions @zfmastery Further Reading How To Build a Local Development Environment Using Docker…

In this episode, we’re talking about errors, exceptions, and the Whoops error handler, commonly used in Zend Expressive projects. Specifically, I’m talking about what happens when you forget to enable it, and the confusion which that can cause. If you’re experiencing errors, such as HTTP 500s, and wondering why no information is appearing in your l…

This isn't a long episode (not that they ever are). But in this episode, I'm giving a small apology for the recent quietness on the blog, with a bit of background as to why. In short, computers are great — when they work. Gladly, things appear to be back to normal now. So it’s onwards and upwards my friends! Questions/Comments/Suggestions @zfmaster…

After many months of hard work, Zend\Db Deep Dive is ready! SQL’s long been a part of modern web applications, especially those created using PHP. But SQL’s not a skill that sits at the top of most developers key skills list. Nor is it one that we’re often itching to learn. So I created this course to help bridge the gap. If you know the basics of …

The recent Docker tutorial has gained a lot of traction — especially in the wider community. But it couldn’t have been done without the support of those far wiser and learned than myself. So, in this episode, I’m giving a special shout out to the people that helped make the tutorial happen …plus a little bit more. Questions/Comments/Suggestions @zf…

Ever wanted to create a local development, without a lot of hassle? In this episode, I'm giving further insight in to the recent tutorial about building local development environments using Docker. Docker is a tool that I — genuinely — have come to love, every bit as much as my enthusiasm in the episode shows. If you've been having issues with sett…

Ever thought Eloquent and Expressive would go together like Ebony and Ivory? I’m guessing the answer’s likely no. But, they can - if that’s your cup of tea, and you’re looking for a change from Zend\Db or Doctrine. In this episode, I share why I decided to see if they’d fit in the recent tutorial. For more information, check out the following links…

In this episode, I give further background on the recent tutorial which covered the basics of downloading files in Zend Expressive. Whilst downloading files can be a common part of creating web-based applications, people have mentioned that they’ve had trouble getting started doing so in Zend Expressive. So I wanted to give yet more information, in…

Given Zend Framework’s design and very flexible nature, it can be easy to end up with a bloated global configuration, if we’re not careful. This episode follows up the recent tutorial on ConfigProviders. In it, I provide further background the ConfigProviders tutorial, on why ConfigProviders can help reduce configuration complexity, and maintainabi…

In this episode, I’m giving a quick overview of one of Zend Expressive’s two, non-default, routing packages - Aura Router. Part of the Aura project, which is an independent collection of libraries, and originally designed for PHP 5.4 by Paul M Jones (@pmjones). Aura is, in the words of the repository: Powerful and flexible web routing for PSR-7 req…

In this episode, I’m giving a quick overview of Zend Expressive’s default routing package - FastRoute. FastRoute, as the documentation says: Provides a fast implementation of a regular expression based router Written by Nikita Popov, or nikic on Twitter and GitHub, it’s both a simple and uncomplicated, yet extremely fast and highly performant routi…

In this episode, I’m stepping through the standard directory structure, common to all Zend Expressive applications setup using the skeleton application and installer. It's a good discussion about what comes by default, and what each directory contains. Questions/Comments/Suggestions @zfmasteryDoor Matthew Setter

With Zend Expressive, you can build all kinds of middleware-based applications, such as APIs, websites, single page applications, even extremely large and sophisticated applications. In this episode, I show you four key ways in which you can configure your expressive applications. These are: Basic routing configuration Using a container Using a Con…

In this episode I'm talking about a key benefit of PSR-7, one I hinted at in episode 2 & 3, one which I’m really excited about — interoperability. Merriam-Webster defines interoperability as: The ability of a system to work with or use the parts or equipment of another system So why is that a good thing? Have a listen and find out.…

In this episode, I’m looking at PSR-7, the second of two core components which Zend Expressive is built on. Zend Framework team lead, Matthew Weier O'Phinney describes it as: a set of standard HTTP message interfaces so that we can create an ecosystem in which PHP developers can create re-usable middleware that they can share. The PSR site describe…

Today, I'm talking about one of the two core concepts behind Zend Expressive - Middleware. But what is Middleware? Here's a quick definition: Middleware, in the context of software applications, is a layer that sits somewhere in the middle, between a request and response. Applications built around a middleware foundation are able to insert function…

This is the prelude, where you'll find out what the show's about, what you can expect, and what's coming up in future episodes. In a nutshell, it's: A bi-weekly, roughly 3 minute, show About all things Zend Framework, especially Zend Framework 3 Gives you all the latest updates, changes, and events in the world of Zend Framework and the wider ecosy…