Create and run Yii 2 project

What is Yii 2?

Yii 2 is a high-performance PHP framework suitable for developing modern web applications. It follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) design pattern and provides a complete set of rich features and tools, allowing developers to quickly build high-quality web applications. Yii 2 is efficient, flexible, and extendable, making it a preferred framework for many developers.

Key Features and Benefits of Yii 2

• High Performance: Yii 2 is a high-performance framework capable of handling high concurrent requests.
• Modular: Offers rich modules and plugins for easy extension and customization of features.
• Security: Built-in security features like input validation, output filtering, CSRF protection, etc.
• Easy to Use: Simplified APIs and rich documentation make it easy for developers to get started quickly.
• Strong Community Support: Active developer community and numerous third-party extensions.

Yii 2 helps developers quickly build high-performance, high-quality web applications suitable for projects of various scales.

Create and Run Yii 2 Project Using ServBay

In this article, we will use the PHP environment provided by ServBay to create and run a Yii 2 project. We will utilize ServBay's 'Host' feature to set up a web server and access the project through simple configuration.

Note: If you were a NGINX or Apache user

ServBay uses Caddy as the default web server. There are some key changes to note for users migrating from NGINX or Apache to ServBay:

1. Caddy Configuration

   ServBay comes with built-in Caddy, and the default configuration has been optimized and debugged. Developers can manage the site using ServBay's 'Host' feature without manually modifying the Caddy configuration file.

2. Rewrite Rules and .htaccess

   In NGINX and Apache, developers often need to write their own Rewrite rules and .htaccess files to handle URL rewriting and other configurations. However, ServBay comes pre-configured with Caddy's rules, so unless there are special needs, developers do not need to write these rules themselves.

3. Learn More

   For more related information, refer to Rewrite and htaccess, How to Migrate Apache Website to ServBay, How to Migrate NGINX Website to ServBay.

Create Yii 2 Project

TIP

ServBay suggests developers place websites in the /Applications/ServBay/www directory for easy management.

1. Install Composer

   Composer is pre-installed with ServBay, so no separate installation is needed.

2. Create Yii 2 Project

   Use Composer to create a new Yii 2 basic application template project:

   cd /Applications/ServBay/www
   mkdir servbay-yii2-app
   cd servbay-yii2-app
   composer create-project --prefer-dist yiisoft/yii2-app-basic .

3. Enter the Project Directory

   Enter the newly created Yii 2 project directory:

   cd /Applications/ServBay/www/servbay-yii2-app

Initialize Configuration

1. Configure Database Connection

   Configure the database connection information in the config/db.php file:

   return [
       'class' => 'yii\db\Connection',
       'dsn' => 'mysql:host=127.0.0.1;dbname=servbay_yii2_app',
       'username' => 'root',
       'password' => 'password',
       'charset' => 'utf8',
   ];

2. Configure Cache and Redis Components

   Add cache and Redis component configuration in the config/web.php file:

   'components' => [
       'cache' => [
           'class' => 'yii\caching\MemCache',
           'servers' => [
               [
                   'host' => '127.0.0.1',
                   'port' => 11211,
                   'weight' => 100,
               ],
           ],
       ],
       'redis' => [
           'class' => 'yii\redis\Connection',
           'hostname' => '127.0.0.1',
           'port' => 6379,
           'database' => 0,
       ],
       // ...
   ],

Configure Web Server

Use ServBay's 'Host' feature to access the Yii 2 project through the web server. In ServBay's 'Host' settings, add a new host:

• Name: My First Yii 2 Dev Site
• Domain: servbay-yii2-test.local
• Site Type: PHP
• PHP Version: Select 8.3
• Site Root Directory: /Applications/ServBay/www/servbay-yii2-app/web

For detailed setup steps, refer to Add Your First Website.

Add Sample Code

Add the following code in the controllers/SiteController.php file:

namespace app\controllers;

use Yii;
use yii\web\Controller;
use yii\web\Response;

class SiteController extends Controller
{
    public function actionIndex()
    {
        return $this->render('index');
    }

    public function actionMemcached()
    {
        $cache = Yii::$app->cache;
        $cache->set('key', 'Hello Memcached!', 60);
        $value = $cache->get('key');
        return $this->asText($value);
    }

    public function actionRedis()
    {
        $redis = Yii::$app->redis;
        $redis->set('key', 'Hello Redis!');
        $value = $redis->get('key');
        return $this->asText($value);
    }

    public function actionMysqlAdd()
    {
        Yii::$app->db->createCommand()->insert('users', [
            'name' => 'ServBay',
            'email' => '[email protected]',
        ])->execute();
        return $this->asText('User added');
    }

    public function actionMysql()
    {
        $users = Yii::$app->db->createCommand('SELECT * FROM users')->queryAll();
        return $this->asJson($users);
    }
}

Add the following code in the views/site/index.php file:

<?php
/* @var $this yii\web\View */
$this->title = 'My Yii2 Application';
?>
<div class="site-index">
    <div class="jumbotron">
        <h1>Congratulations!</h1>
        <p class="lead">You have successfully created your Yii2 application.</p>
    </div>
</div>

Access the Website

Open your browser and visit the following URL:

• https://servbay-yii2-test.local: You will see the default Yii 2 welcome page.

NoSQL Database Examples

Memcached Example

1. Install Memcached Extension

   The Memcached extension is already pre-installed in ServBay, so no additional installation is needed.

2. Configure Memcached

   Configure Memcached connection information in the config/web.php file:

   'components' => [
       'cache' => [
           'class' => 'yii\caching\MemCache',
           'servers' => [
               [
                   'host' => '127.0.0.1',
                   'port' => 11211,
                   'weight' => 100,
               ],
           ],
       ],
       // ...
   ],

3. Use Memcached

   Use cache in the controller:

   public function actionMemcached()
   {
       $cache = Yii::$app->cache;
       $cache->set('key', 'Hello Memcached!', 60);
       $value = $cache->get('key');
       return $this->asText($value);
   }

Redis Example

1. Install Redis Extension

   The Redis extension is already pre-installed in ServBay, so no additional installation is needed.

2. Configure Redis

   Configure Redis connection information in the config/web.php file:

   'components' => [
       'redis' => [
           'class' => 'yii\redis\Connection',
           'hostname' => '127.0.0.1',
           'port' => 6379,
           'database' => 0,
       ],
       // ...
   ],

3. Use Redis

   Use cache in the controller:

   public function actionRedis()
   {
       $redis = Yii::$app->redis;
       $redis->set('key', 'Hello Redis!');
       $value = $redis->get('key');
       return $this->asText($value);
   }

Relational Database Examples

Create Database Structure and Migration Files

1. Create Migration File

   Use Yii 2's Gii tool to create a migration file:

   php yii migrate/create create_users_table

2. Edit Migration File

   Find the newly created migration file in the migrations directory and edit it to define the database table structure:

   public function up()
   {
       $this->createTable('users', [
           'id' => $this->primaryKey(),
           'name' => $this->string()->notNull(),
           'email' => $this->string()->notNull()->unique(),
           'created_at' => $this->timestamp()->defaultExpression('CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'),
           'updated_at' => $this->timestamp()->defaultExpression('CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'),
       ]);
   }

3. Run Migration

   Use Yii 2's migration command to run the migration and create the database table:

   php yii migrate

MySQL Example

1. Configure MySQL

   Configure MySQL connection information in the config/db.php file:

   return [
       'class' => 'yii\db\Connection',
       'dsn' => 'mysql:host=127.0.0.1;dbname=servbay_yii2_app',
       'username' => 'root',
       'password' => 'password',
       'charset' => 'utf8',
   ];

2. Write User Data

   Write user data in the controller:

   public function actionMysqlAdd()
   {
       Yii::$app->db->createCommand()->insert('users', [
           'name' => 'ServBay',
           'email' => '[email protected]',
       ])->execute();
       return $this->asText('User added');
   }

3. Use MySQL

   Call the database in the controller:

   public function actionMysql()
   {
       $users = Yii::$app->db->createCommand('SELECT * FROM users')->queryAll();
       return $this->asJson($users);
   }

PostgreSQL Example

1. Configure PostgreSQL

   Configure PostgreSQL connection information in the config/db.php file:

   return [
       'class' => 'yii\db\Connection',
       'dsn' => 'pgsql:host=127.0.0.1;dbname=servbay_yii2_app',
       'username' => 'root',
       'password' => 'password',
       'charset' => 'utf8',
   ];

2. Write User Data

   Write user data in the controller:

   public function actionPgsqlAdd()
   {
       Yii::$app->db->createCommand()->insert('users', [
           'name' => 'ServBay',
           'email' => '[email protected]',
       ])->execute();
       return $this->asText('User added');
   }

3. Use PostgreSQL

   Call the database in the controller:

   public function actionPgsql()
   {
       $users = Yii::$app->db->createCommand('SELECT * FROM users')->queryAll();
       return $this->asJson($users);
   }

Through the above steps, you have successfully created and run a Yii 2 project, managed it using the functionalities provided by ServBay, connected various databases, and called the data. Hope this article helps you quickly get started with Yii 2 and apply it to your projects.