The difference between Symfony and Silex

Question

I would like to try Silex but i've some questions.

I know to use Symfony2 and i would like to know if Silex is very different of Symfony or it's the same thing (same operation, same code... ) ?

Moreover, Silex is recommanded for small PHP projects and Symfony for medium or big projects , it's true ?

Solution 1

A few things worth noting:

• Silex is based on the Symfony2 components, just like the Symfony2 framework is. As such, it can be considered an alternative user interface to the components (the user being a web developer).
• Since they use the same basis, migration between them should be relatively easy.
• Just like Symfony2, Silex is mostly a controller framework. It provides you with some structure, but the model and view parts are handled by third-party libraries (such as Twig or Doctrine).
• Since your business logic should not be in your controllers anyway, if you separate that code out and keep your controllers light, the limiting factor in terms of project size will only be the amount of routes you have.

That said, Silex will not give you the bundles that Symfony2 has.

Solution 2

Here are some interesting thoughts on when to use Silex (especially in the comments): https://web.archive.org/web/20160131151109/http://www.testically.org/2011/10/11/is-there-a-specific-situation-when-to-use-a-php-micro-framework-like-silex/

Silex itself is pretty bare, which means that if you want more then just routing and tests you will need to add specific features (DB, Twig ...) in form of Services. I recommend to take a look at some readymade Plates that provide you with this: https://github.com/lyrixx/Silex-Kitchen-Edition or https://github.com/ivoba/superleansilexplate (thats mine :))

Another point is that Silex has a probably lighter footprint than Symfony2, so if you need a smaller & faster site, Silex is worth a consideration.

Solution 3

(UPDATE) Since Symfony 2.8 You can use symfony 2 as a microframework with a micro kernel controller. See short description here: symfony.com/blog/new-in-symfony-2-8-symfony-as-a-microframework. Now Symfony gives us more control over the structure and architecture. Good alternative to Silex if You prefer the Symfony 2 style.

Comparing Silex to Symfony before 2.8 release

Silex microframework is based on Symfony but it's not exactly the same thing. Using a full-stack framework such as Symfony for a small project is simply overkilling the project.

In a microframework, you have more flexibility to choose the tools you want to use. You can make more decisions about application architecture and logic. In a full-stack framework with some extend you would have an architecture and a logic already predefined with restrictions and limitations to its configuration.

Silex was designed to build up the tool rather than get the set tools that you might not need. I would say that for small projects in Symfony you would have to remove features - were in Silex you would have to add them.

It is also not true that Silex isn't fit for larger projects. Silex can be used with success for larger projects but remember that you would have to build up your tools to fit your requirements (if you need to customize the architecture and logic - perhaps this is the right way to go). Other than that, I would consider using Symfony instead, because Symfony already has bunch of tools available out of the box.

Bear in mind that:

To conclude, Silex is good for smaller applications and for those, it can surely replace Symfony. Silex can also be used for larger projects (but for larger applications I would recommend to use full-stack framework instead, like Symfony).

Reference for slides at: http://www.slideshare.net/dustin.whittle/silex-from-micro-to-full-stack . If you feel like it, go ahead and read some more about the Silex framework.

I also recommend watching this intro comparing Silex to Symfony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDVtnsoOysE.

Again, a few Pro for using Silex coming from people who actually use it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJcdHGJFfLU

Solution 4

Silex is good for small projects, but it can be used for big projects as well. What I like the most of Silex is that I have complete control over my project structure but it's my responsibility if my project is well organized or not.
Also I recommend it over symfony if like me, you moved your application logic to the client side using a JS framework. For me it feels an overkill to use symfony only to serve a few json requests.

Solution 5

Silex is based on the independent Symfony2 components and isn't truly considered a full-stack web application framework like Symfony is. You should only use it for very small projects that only require a few files, or you'll outgrow it pretty quickly.

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Comments

[lucian303]

Migration between the two is far from easy (going Sy2 -> Silex) especially considering the extreme lack of good, complete documentation for the Silex providers to Symfony components. That being said, your other points are right on the money. The other major difference is that Symfony2 is production ready and Silex is still in -dev mode.

[igorw]

Symfony => Silex will be harder than vice versa because the things you took for granted are now no longer there. The core providers in silex have decent documentation, but most third-party providers do not.

[Andrzej Ośmiałowski]

using Silex for small projects only? Doh. You can use it in your big project too. Why not? You can create your own structure of the application - moving business logic out of controllers, you can create repositories (Doctrine DBAL or PDO).

[ILikeTacos]

igorw I'm a bit confused by what you mean by "your business logic shouldn't be in your controllers anyway" because if it doesn't go in your controllers, where does it go then? Does it go in the entities? or do you put it in services?

[igorw]

@AlanChavez yes, entities, services, value objects. that's where the business logic lies. not in something framework specific like a controller.

[ILikeTacos]

@igorw interesting... A few months ago I "inherited" a symfony project and the controllers are nowhere near "light". Most of the business logic is in there, and I thought that was the way it was supposed to work.

[Jens]

Controllers tend to be abused and end up doing a lot they shouldn't. The controller's responsibility should limit to be a mediator between the http world (requests, responses), your views (html, json) and your business logic. In other words, if you have http or html stuff mixed with your business logic, you are doing it wrong. So if you have a "shipOrder" method for business logic, there shouldn't be any html or http stuff inside that method. You would only have a thin controller wrapping it to handle http requests and passing results to a view renderer.

[user2345998]

Hi olanod, although this post is quite old I would like to know which JS framework you used in conjunction with sylix? Thanks!

[olanod]

Hello, at that time I was using angular which is still very(the most?) popular. Now I'm an early adopter of 'aurelia', a cool next-gen framework which is very easy to use ;)

[martti]

The size doesn't matter. Symfony has a more rigid structure, which can be handy if you work with many developers on the project. Whereas in Silex you are more responsible for the structure. For me Silex is less obfusticating and more close to PHP and I work alone, so that's what I use, even on a big project.