Symfony is a free and open-source **PHP web application framework** [Wikipedia Symfony]. It also provides a collection of reusable **PHP component libraries**. what Symfony offers: * **Framework for building web applications:** Symfony provides a structured approach to developing web applications. It enforces a specific architecture (often MVC) to improve code organization, maintainability, and scalability. * **Reusable component libraries:** In addition to the full-fledged framework, Symfony offers a collection of independent PHP component libraries. These components handle common functionalities like routing, templating, forms, and security, and can be integrated into existing projects even if you're not using the entire Symfony framework. Some of the key benefits of using Symfony include: * **Faster development:** Symfony provides tools and libraries that can streamline development tasks, saving time for developers. * **Scalability:** The framework is designed to handle complex and large-scale applications. * **Security:** Built-in security features help protect web applications from common threats. * **Large community:** A big and active community provides support and resources for developers using Symfony.