I can't say I've ever used Symfony. I've tried CakePHP, which I didn't take to, but now I'm with Zend Framework, I love it. Admittedly it has a few issues, but because of its ease-of-use, adding in layers of your own that interface with Zend Framework is so damn simple.

Does Symfony allow you to use bits and bobs of it, or does it throw you into a framework which you must follow if you want to use their helpers and functions?

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