Idiots guide to "frameworks"

[dowzer]

We are currently outsourcing some development work for an application for our business and we have been recommended to ensure the programmers in question work within a framework (such as Zend).

I have looked on Google etc and have gotten technical explanations of what they are but can anyone articulate in idiot terms the benefits of coding within a framework rather than just using PHP, for example? What additional "things" do we get by using a framework?

Thanks

Jase

[rocknbil]

- Not rebuilding the wheel - or paying for it to be rebuilt.
- Expandability of the application, though there's many things you won't use in Zend, you may need them someday.
- Standardization and portability of your application.
- Although PHP is not "OOP," you will have an application that is very OOP-like, avoiding procedural spaghetti code.
- As other programmers are brought into the game, they will understand the setup.
- When Zend is updated, so is your program.

Although I'll say, for extremely small apps, a framework is overkill, especially if you don't foresee it growing (mailer app, for ex.)

[dowzer]

Fantastic thank you Rocknbil - the expandability and other programmers part were some of pre requisites so it makes sense!

Thanks