Which php framework and other php questions

Hydrosylator

I've made maybe ten websites in php on my own as well as working on larger php sites, and while i still have plenty to learn, I consider myself a competent php coder. I've been using the language for aout two years, hand-coding the php nine times out of ten, using online php classes on other occasions.

A friend of mine recently recommended Cake php to me.
I'm told using a framework of this nature will make it faster to build websites.

What experiences have you had with frameworks, and which would you recommend?

I appreciate the value of object oriented programming, though I feel I haven't had a site that was sophisticated enough to warrant it's use yet. Is that a stupid thing to say? Should I start developing everything this way so that I get in the habit?

If I feel ready with my html, css, php and mysql skills, which technology should I add to the list next in order to make myself more employable?
I've started learning about Javascript and AJAX. Is this the right way to go for somebody who wants to work as a developer, or should I start learning a programming language like Python or C#?

What about all this Model-View-Controller talk? Should I think about that at all or is it more the domain of software application programmers? Why is this term being bandied about so much these days?

daymobrew

http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/06/09/16-php-frameworks/
This might list some that you can check out.

verbatim

Frameworks are invaluable. There is a bit of a learning curve, but after that you'll be pumping out web sites in the blink of an eye and will be wondering why you didn't start using them years ago. There's no need to reinvent the wheel each time you create a site, you can just reuse components, letting you focus on the important stuff. Web frameworks are based on the Model-View-Controller design pattern. It allows you to separate out the different parts of a web application, allowing for faster development, easier maintenance and more extensible.

Model = data structure (database)
View = HTML
Controller = application logic (your PHP code)

The major ones for PHP are Cake and Zend, and both are great. I've used Zend for the past year and built a good few sites with it. Its great to be able to build a dynamic functioning prototype website in one morning. If your website is in anyway dynamic, use a framework.

As for "programming languages", PHP is a one. As for Ajax and javascript, check out jQuery, it lets you create client side scripts quicker and with better functionality.