Frameworks
 

Are frameworks generally recommended? How easy are they to use? I downloaded the Zend framework but the documentation is somewhat confusing.

Check out this:
Amhulio PHP & MySQL Framework

I'm not using framework, or well, I'm using my little own one, but it's nowhere near the functionality that the "professional" framework offers.
I found the Zend docs extremely weird and confusing. However, I think that the Amhulio's documentation and tutorial is great, so read that and see if you like it!

On my own point of view, frameworks are not really enforce to the extent that you can't make a big project without using a framework, thats a big NO!.

Frameworks are there just for programmers to do big projects in a reasonable amount of time and effort. Easy frameworks? well, i can't tell you about it because even me doesn't even use one. How about if you try to check what Tanax suggested you. Though there are many frameworks for you to choose, they just differ in structures, and somehow differ in features.

I find most frameworks to be utterly useless. The only framework I actually like is the .net framework, which isn't avalable for PHP.

Currently I use the CodeIgniter PHP framework, but I've been working on my own... It's going to be great when it's done too! :-D

just came across, thanks~ feel free to ask me if there is any confusing parts~ :-)