What is Yii

Yii is a high-performance, component-based PHP framework for developing large-scale Web applications rapidly. It enables maximum reusability in Web programming and can significantly accelerate your Web application development process. The name Yii (pronounced Yee or [ji:]) is an acroynym for "Yes It Is!". This is often the accurate, and most concise response to inquires from those new to Yii:

Is it fast? ... Is it secure? ... Is it professional? ... Is it right for my next project? ... Yes, it is!

1. Requirements ¶

To run a Yii-powered Web application, you need a Web server that supports PHP 5.1.0.

For developers who want to use Yii, understanding object-oriented programming (OOP) is very helpful, because Yii is a pure OOP framework.

2. What is Yii Best for? ¶

Yii is a generic Web programming framework that can be used for developing virtually any type of Web application. Because it is light-weight and equipped with sophisticated caching mechanisms, it is especially suited to high-traffic applications, such as portals, forums, content management systems (CMS), e-commerce systems, etc.

3. How does Yii Compare with Other Frameworks? ¶

Like most PHP frameworks, Yii is an MVC framework.

Yii excels among PHP frameworks at being efficient, feature-rich and clearly-documented. Yii is carefully designed from the ground up to be fit for serious Web application development. It is neither a byproduct of some project nor a conglomerate of third-party work. It is the result of the authors' rich experience with Web application development and their investigation of the most popular Web programming frameworks and applications.