Recommendation...Modular Extensions or Matchbox?

[eluser]lancemonotone[/eluser]
Is there a difference in function or purpose?

Which is easiest to install/use?

Which has most features/configurability?

Which 'fits' best within CI?

Is there another helper/library/etc? besides these that I should look at?

I'm new to CI and would like some expert opinions before I go blundering around blindly (which I will do after the opinions are received).

Thanks.

[eluser]wiredesignz[/eluser]
*whistles* :lol:

EDIT:
Oh yes, this is actually a Code & Application Development topic. Ignited Code is for your code submissions. But I won't tell anyone.

[eluser]Phil Sturgeon[/eluser]
From what I can tell Modular Extensions is the most "not like CI". It is good and seems pretty quick, but will take a bit of getting used to.

While Matchbox is a little slower you can just drop things like FAL right into it and have it work fine (in theory, finished those bugs yet Zack? :p ). Matchbox is exactly like CI.

In fact, if you write all your modules in matchbox, it is possible to drag them right out of the module folders and into the plain CI layout, and have it work perfectly fine still! That said of course, if you have multiple controllers in one module, you will have to make a controller sub-dir for each module you previously had, but that'll take what, 20 seconds?

[eluser]wiredesignz[/eluser]
Yes I agree on that point, Matchbox is most like CI in the way you code, so it would be a good starting point to learn modular techniques.

[eluser]adamp1[/eluser]
Personally I would go with Matchbox, as said it works like CI, same methods and classes. Just so easy to use.

[eluser]wiredesignz[/eluser]
Actually Modular Extensions is CI, same methods classes etc. The only difference is, it isn't URL aware. Yet

[eluser]xwero[/eluser]
I would go with Modular Extensions. It give you a lot of freedom and it's made foolproof I never used matchbox but i'm tempted to use Modular Extensions the first chance i get.

[eluser]lancemonotone[/eluser]
Thanks for the replies and sorry if I misposted. I thought this forum was not only for code submissions but for questions about those submissions. I will say that there could be a much better code repository. I used to dabble with Joomla; their Joomla Extensions library is really easy to get around and it allows for user ratings. (I know...this should be in another topic.)

[quote author="wiredesignz" date="1204738480"]Yes I agree on that point, Matchbox is most like CI in the way you code, so it would be a good starting point to learn modular techniques.[/quote]

Wiredesignz, what is the difference between your ME and Matchbox? Do they aim for the same goal but go about it differently, or is there a fundamental difference in philosophy and/or functionality?

[quote author="thepyromaniac"]you can just drop things like FAL right into it[/quote]

What is FAL?

[eluser]wiredesignz[/eluser]
Matcbox enables you to modularize an ordinary CI application. It basically manages the routing of URL calls into the modules directory.

Modular Extensions adds more features to CI in that modules have component like functions. They can perform many different jobs limited only by your imagination and should be made to enhance your CI application.

The idea was to have modules as plug and play services, so if you wrote a module for something like google adsense, anyone could use it. In addition to that modules can be used as HMVC controllers and they can help you build view partials.

EDIT:
FAL = FreakAuth Lite

EDIT-EDIT:
As you would take a web page and break it down into view parts (search, nav, header, footer etc) you would create a module to provide the functionality behind each of those parts, not just to render it, but to manage it based on the application state.

[eluser]zdknudsen[/eluser]
[quote author="lancemonotone" date="1204745002"]... what is the difference between [Modular Extensions] and Matchbox? Do they aim for the same goal but go about it differently, or is there a fundamental difference in philosophy and/or functionality?[/quote]

Please do note that this post might be slightly *cough* biased towards Matchbox.

The one thing our libraries have in common, is the fact that they both aim to let you modularize your application. Philosophy/functionality-wise there are some major differences, though.

Modular Extensions
Part of ME's philosophy is to not alter the CoreIgniter core at all. This does however mean that you will have to do slight modifications to the way you work (haven't worked enough with ME to tell you exactly what, though). Also, ME doesn't handle the routing of urls to your modules, since this under normal circumstances would require extending some of the core files of CodeIgniter. It does, however, sound like this is something wiredesignz is looking into, at the moment. Now, where ME differs from Matchbox in particular is the fact that Modular Extensions are effectively HMVC controllers, which you can read more about in the ME thread.

Matchbox *yay, go me!*
Unlike ME, Matchbox hacks into (part of) CodeIgniter's core (by overriding certain libraries: http://ellislab.com/codeigniter/user-gui...asses.html), and thus let's you keep coding your applications like nothing happened (except that you can then store your resorces in modules). You make your controllers/libraries/whatever like you always did (e.g. you can follow the documentation without worrying about Matchbox). Also, Matchbox handles all your routing so urls will be routed to module controllers when present. Basically a Matchbox module can work as a seperate CodeIgniter application, and intelligently loads libraries/views depending on which module they are located in.

I guess you'll have to try them both out to tell which is the best for you.