As developers, all of us have experience with software that has not worked as expected. Whenever we write a new line of code, we also potentially add new bugs. Software testing helps us to identify errors as soon as possible in the development process and to increase our software reliability. So to build better web applications, we must test our code to ensure it is working as it should. –by Gabriel García Fernández

After a decade and a half of not talking to each other, PHP projects are now collaborating on building a common future. Despite a rocky start, the PHP Framework Interoperability Group (PHP-FIG) is helping to build a shared future for PHP. –by Larry Garfield

The Laravel framework has quickly mobilized a large and active following. It has invigorated the PHP community by doing so many things right. With a shallow learning curve and its ability to simply get out of the way, it allows developers to focus on functionality and business requirements rather than having to worry about setup and basic application infrastructure. In this article, we will take a closer look at what makes Laravel feel so modern, lightweight, and powerful, while using our newfound knowledge to build a basic Laravel website. –by Dirk Merkel

Adianti Framework provides a complete architecture for developing PHP applications. It is a component-based and event-driven framework specializing in the development of business applications. In this paper, I’ll introduce you to the basic concepts of the framework. –by Pablo Dall’Oglio

There are two reactions to reading a new section of code for the first time. Sadly, one of the most common seems to be of confusion and dismay followed possibly by some sort of expletive (or many, depending on the length of the code). The other is one of the most beautiful reactions, the most flattering, the most sought after reaction: “Oh, that makes sense” or “That’s cool”. As a Confident Coder, the code that we strive to write should illicit that second response as much as possible. Whereas some languages benefit from minification, PHP does not. Code should be efficient, but that doesn’t mean obfuscated and confusing. This is where proper descriptive naming schemes come in. –by Aaron Saray

Welcome to another edition of Education Station; the column where you hear about the latest tools, tips, technologies and platforms in the world of PHP. This month, we’re looking at private package management. –by Matthew Setter

Friends of a Certain Age, Why Is It Hard to Make Friends Over 30? –by Eli White

Play time is not only fun, but inspiring and educational. I think we should all resolve to spend more time playing. –by Beth Tucker Long