Zend Framework
I dealt with PHP first time since ages the last days and did some evaluation work on frameworks. The most promising candidate for future projects is the Zend Framework of which a first stable release is expected during the next weeks.
Most important feature is a MVC implementaion which looks quite similar to Struts. Other neat little features include PDF creation, XMLRPC support, RSS feed handling and many more. The most exciting thing with Zend Framework is the very flexible and “non-invasive” integration opportunity. All features are based on a “can do” basis and it seems to be very easy to integrate 3rd party modules. E.g. integration of Smarty tpl engine and Propel O/R mapping is done in no time (Howtos can be found here and here). I can’t wait for the stable release to come and I’ll definitely give it a try for some upcoming projects. Looks like this could become a Spring for PHP…