As I heard that Zend Framework 2.0 is on the way to the public release, I became curious to know how the framework had been evolving during the recent releases. I started to fiddle with Zend Framework again but also realized that I should update my comprehension and knowledge about the framework. It has been a while since I wrote a complex ZF-based application for the last time. I feel it is necessary to collect more information about framework; manual, technical notes, tutorials, case studies, people, communities, and so forth so that I can upgrade my knowledge and get back on the track again. I found a good compilation by Robert Basic that actually covers almost all things in my list. Still, I consider that providing an alternative list is far from being counterproductive. Instead, the information redundancy can be good especially when the lists complement each other.

Below, I categorize useful resources one can use to learn about Zend Framework. If you have suggestions about other resources to add, feel free to drop a comment and I will add it into the list.

1. Starter kit
a. Zend Framework home page
b. Zend Framework download page
c. Zend Framework quickstart from the manual

2. Downloadable manual, for those who prefer to read the manual offline
a. Reference and API manual in HTML
b. Reference and API manual in PDF and CHM

3. Books
a. Zend Framework: Surviving the Deep End, a free online book by Padraic Brady
b. Zend Framework in Action by Rob Allen
c. Zend Enterprise PHP Patterns by John Coggeshall and Morgan Tocker
d. Beginning Zend Framework by Armando Padilla
e. Guide to Programming with Zend Framework by Cal Evans
f. Zend Framework: The Official Programmer’s Reference Guide by Zend Press
g. Easy PHP Websites with Zend Framework by W. J. Gilmore
h. Zend Framework 1.8 Web Application Development by Keith Pope
i. Pro Zend Framework Techniques: Build a Full CMS Project by Forrest Lyman

4. Tutorials
a. ZF Tutorials
b. Zend’s Devzone
c. Understanding Zend Framework Series from IBM
d. Zend Framework tutorial series from Andrei Gabreanu

5. Presentations and multimedia resources
a. Zend Framework Webinars
b. Free Zend Framework screencasts from Zendcasts
c. Zend Framework video tutorials from KillerPHP (note: the tutorials may use techniques applicable only for older version of ZF)
d. Slides about Zend Framework from Slideshare

6. Forums and community
a. ZF Forums
b. Mailing lists discussing about Zend Framework
c. #zftalk and #zftalk.dev on IRC

7. Notable people
a. Matthew Weier O’Phinney (website, twitter)
b. Padraic Brady (website, twitter)
c. Thomas Weidner (website)
d. Rob Allen (website)
e. Ralph Schindler (twitter)
f. Bill Karwin (website, twitter)
g. Michelangelo van Dam (website)

8. Sample open-source applications
a. Magento community edition
b. Digitalus CMS
c. Omeka web-based publishing platform
d. Joobsbox, open source job board
e. Piwik, real time web analytics software program

Specific to open-source applications, besides Magento that has seemingly shifted away from massive use of Zend Framework in recent release, I am still in search of killer applications based on Zend Framework. The existence of such applications should promote the framework to bigger audience. If you have idea about such existing application, your comment is highly appreciated.