PHP Technology Intelligence

What is PHP?

PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language designed specifically for web development. Created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994, PHP has grown from simple CGI scripts into a full-featured programming language powering approximately 77% of websites with known server-side languages.

PHP code executes on the server, generating HTML sent to browsers. Its tight integration with HTML makes it exceptionally productive for web development. Major platforms including WordPress (43% of all websites), Drupal, Joomla, Magento, and Laravel are built with PHP. Facebook developed their PHP runtime (HHVM) before creating Hack.

PHP 8.x represents a modern, high-performance language with JIT compilation, union types, attributes, named arguments, and match expressions. The ecosystem includes Composer for dependency management, PHPUnit for testing, and frameworks like Laravel, Symfony, and Slim.

PHP Architecture

Zend Engine: PHP's core is the Zend Engine, which parses and executes PHP code. PHP 8's JIT compiler translates hot code paths to machine code for improved performance. Opcache stores precompiled bytecode.

Request Lifecycle: Traditional PHP follows shared-nothing architecture. Each request starts fresh, loads dependencies, executes, and terminates. This simplifies development and scaling but adds overhead. PHP-FPM optimizes with process pooling.

Extensions: Functionality extends through C extensions. PDO for databases, cURL for HTTP, GD/Imagick for images, OpenSSL for cryptography. Extensions load at startup for performance.

Composer: De facto package manager for PHP. PSR-4 autoloading standard. Packagist hosts 300,000+ packages. Lock files ensure reproducible builds.

PHP-FPM: FastCGI Process Manager handles PHP process lifecycle. Process pools per site/application. Dynamic spawning based on load. Nginx and Apache connect via FastCGI protocol.

Frameworks: Laravel dominates with elegant syntax and ecosystem. Symfony provides enterprise components. Slim and Lumen for APIs. CodeIgniter for simplicity.

PHP Use Cases

Content Management: WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and countless CMSs run PHP. Publishing workflows, media management, and user-generated content. Millions of themes and plugins available.

E-commerce: Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, and OpenCart power online stores. Payment processing, inventory management, and order fulfillment. PCI-compliant solutions.

Web Applications: Laravel and Symfony build complex web applications. Authentication, authorization, queueing, and real-time features. RESTful and GraphQL APIs.

API Development: Slim, Lumen, and API Platform for backend services. JWT authentication. OpenAPI/Swagger documentation generation. Microservices architectures.

Shared Hosting: Nearly universal shared hosting support. Affordable deployment for small sites. FTP deployment still works (though discouraged).

Legacy Applications: Massive installed base of PHP applications. Gradual modernization with frameworks. PHP 8 compatibility migrations.

PHP Code Examples

Modern PHP 8 Features

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

// Constructor property promotion
readonly class User
{
    public function __construct(
        public int $id,
        public string $name,
        public string $email,
        public array $roles = ['user'],
    ) {}
}

// Named arguments and match expression
function createResponse(
    int $status,
    mixed $data = null,
    ?string $message = null
): array {
    return [
        'status' => match($status) {
            200 => 'success',
            201 => 'created',
            400 => 'bad_request',
            404 => 'not_found',
            default => 'error',
        },
        'data' => $data,
        'message' => $message,
    ];
}

// Null-safe operator and arrow functions
$users = collect($data)
    ->filter(fn($user) => $user?->isActive())
    ->map(fn($user) => new User(
        id: $user->id,
        name: $user->name,
        email: $user->email,
    ));

// Attributes for routing (Laravel-style)
#[Route('/api/users/{id}', methods: ['GET'])]
#[Middleware('auth:api')]
public function show(int $id): JsonResponse
{
    $user = User::findOrFail($id);
    return response()->json($user);
}

PHP Benefits

Deployment Simplicity: Works on virtually any hosting. No complex server configuration. Upload files and run. Shared hosting costs $5/month.

Massive Ecosystem: Composer with 300,000+ packages. WordPress plugins by the thousands. Mature frameworks with extensive documentation.

PHP 8 Performance: JIT compilation closes the gap with compiled languages. 3x faster than PHP 5.6. Opcache preloading for production.

Learning Curve: Gentle introduction for beginners. Immediate visual feedback. Gradual adoption of advanced features. Extensive tutorials and resources.

Hiring: Largest pool of web developers. WordPress alone ensures PHP demand. Easier to find and train developers.

Modern Features: PHP 8 brings type safety, attributes, enums, fibers. Modern frameworks rival any language. Static analysis with PHPStan and Psalm.

Battle-Tested: Decades of security patches and optimization. Known pitfalls well-documented. Mature error handling and debugging tools.