CodeIgniter is an open source PHP framework with a small footprint and exceptional performance. It gives you a rich set of libraries for common tasks, with a simple interface to access them. There are several unexplored aspects of CodeIgniter that can help developers build applications more easily and quickly. In this book, you will learn the intricacies of the framework and explore some of its hidden gems.

If you want to get the most out of CodeIgniter, this book is for you. It teaches you what you need to know to use CodeIgniter on a daily basis. You will create mini-applications that teach a specific technique and let you build on top of the base.

This book will take you through developing applications with CodeIgniter. You will learn how to make your CodeIgniter application more secure than a default installation, how to build large-scale applications and web services, how to release code to the community, and much more. You will be able to authenticate users, validate forms, and also build libraries to complete different tasks and functions.

The book starts off introducing the framework and how to install it on your web server or a local machine. You are introduced to the Model-View-Controller design pattern and how it will affect your development. Some important parts of the CodeIgniter Style Guide are included to keep CodeIgniter development as standardized as possible; this helps greatly when working as part of a team or taking on an old CodeIgniter project. You will quickly move on to how CodeIgniter URLs work and learn about CodeIgniter-specific files such as helpers and plugins. By the time you finish this book, you will be able to create a CodeIgniter application of any size with confidence, ease, and speed.

This guide will enable you to become well-versed with CodeIgniter through practical applications using the tools and techniques used by many seasoned CodeIgniter developers.

What you will learn from this book

• Learn the Model-View-Controller design pattern to structure your code
• Create more readable and maintainable queries using the Active Record implementation
• Create and maintain database tables using the Database Forge class
• Authenticate users using Twitter oAuth and Facebook Connect
• Create your own Authentication Library for more control over your user accounts
• Secure your application using CodeIgniter's built-in functionality and some quick tips to help further
• Build a RESTful Web Service, opening up your application to third-party developers
• Create extended Controllers, grouping functionality into multiple Controllers helping to keep repeated code to a minimum
• Learn techniques used by professionals to scale CodeIgniter over multiple servers
• Learn top tips for releasing code to the community and giving support to the developers using your code

Approach

This book is a practical guide that takes you through a number of techniques. Each chapter builds upon knowledge from the previous chapter. Step-by-step instructions with examples and illustrative screenshots ensure that you gain a firm grasp of the topic being explained.

Who this book is written for

This book is written for advanced PHP developers with a good working knowledge of Object Oriented Programming techniques who are comfortable with developing applications and wish to use CodeIgniter to make their development easier, quicker, and more fun. Basic knowledge of CodeIgniter will be helpful. This book will suit developers who fall into three categories:

• Professional Developers - employees of a software house or organization with in-house software development
• Freelance Developers - solo developers working in the industry on their own
• Just-for-fun Developers - people working with PHP building web applications is their spare time for fun