Zend Framework

The Zend Framework is an open-source framework for web application and service development in PHP. It was developed by Zend Technologies, a company also known for creating PHP programming language.

Zend Framework was initially released in 2006 and was one of the most popular PHP frameworks. It offered a variety of features and components that helped developers build powerful, scalable, and secure web applications. The framework followed the "Use What You Need" (UWYN) concept, allowing developers to select and use only the components required for their specific needs.

Some of the key features of Zend Framework were:

1. MVC Architecture: It supported the Model-View-Controller pattern, enabling a clean separation of data, presentation, and business logic in an application.

2. Database Support: It provided a flexible database abstraction layer, making it easier to access different databases.

3. Authentication and Authorization: It included components to implement authentication and authorization in web applications.

4. Forms and Validation: It offered features for creating and validating forms.

5. Internationalization Support: It supported internationalization of web applications with translation mechanisms and localization features.

In 2019, the development community decided to transform the project into an independent framework called "Laminas" and officially changed the name to "Laminas." This move aimed to make the framework more accessible to a wider community and emphasize its flexibility and modernity.