Advanced PHP 8 Features that Make It Useful for More than Web App Development

Introduction

What comes to your mind instantly when you hear the term PHP? For many of us, it’s a commonly used web programming language that is commonly used for custom web development. It was created in 1994 by Danish Canadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf. Since its inception, the programming language has continuously evolved and various version changes, updates and framework inclusion has taken place.

Currently, the PHP reference implementation is produced by the PHP group. With every update, the functionality and features to enhance web development have been realized concerning PHP as a programming language for web development.

This article explores the basics of PHP as a programming language and the expanding arena of PHP with the latest release of PHP 8, including its advanced web development features and integrations. It also highlights how modern PHP development services are evolving to offer solutions beyond traditional web applications, providing a unique opportunity for developers to explore the language’s full capabilities.

Fundamentals of PHP

With the launch of PHP in 1995, the web development sphere got an enormous boost in terms of design, customization, scalability, and security. New opportunities were envisaged and doors of a new world of web development opened up. Since then it has come a long way helping web developers to build web pages, desktop applications, and server-side and command-line scripting.

Moving from static web page development the dynamic web page development was enhanced by PHP. For web-centric application functions features like dynamic content management, user session management, remote database integration, etc., added newer abilities to the web developers’ arsenal. The use of PHP made it easy for web developers to send a query directly to the server and database and that made real-time content accessible to end-users.

The PHP applications included a 4 stage process for execution

• A lexer configuration is used to define and build tokens. Further, an interpreter parses the script.  
• The parser function creates a hierarchy named AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) using the tokens. The hierarchy analyses syntax within the source code and a structural model for the program are created. 
• The compiler converts the AST into codes, which in turn dictates the compile and execution performed by Zend Virtual machine. (Zend virtual machine is a component of PHP´s unique Zend engine scripting environment. 
• The Zend VM processes the opcode and executes the operation in the application. 

PHP developers also have the option of using inversion of control techniques, where specific functions can be called from PHP libraries. Frameworks like Symfony offer reusable components that accelerate modular development, while Laravel provides an MVC architecture and a robust platform for building scalable web applications. Businesses looking to develop such solutions can benefit greatly when they hire PHP developers with expertise in these modern frameworks.

What is unique about PHP8?

PHP7 offered performance and security upgrades. The PHP8 release provides substantial new features such as a Just-in-Time compiler, a named arguments method, static return types, inheritance, and OPcache extensions.

The addition of JIT gives added advantage to  PHP 8 over previous versions. JIT compiles a script into machine code before execution. This helps in economizing the performance and memory usage. In turn, the whole process improves the capability of PHP in high-compute environments and expands the possibilities for using PHP beyond just web development, from IoT deployments to machine learning models.

For example, using shared memory storage for bytecode means that PHP’s four-stage execution process only needs to run once. Meanwhile, that bytecode is immediately available for execution by the Zend VM. The combination of the JIT compiler and the OPcache extension also eliminates the need to load and parse scripts on every request.

Finally, named arguments represent another PHP 8 feature that looks to add support for higher levels of development complexity. Named arguments is a method that allows arguments to act in an order-independent manner. The arguments are then passed to functions based on their identity, rather than their position within the workflow, enabling a more sophisticated level of asynchronous behavior.

Conclusion

Over the past two decades, every new PHP version has introduced a large number of new possibilities, keeping the language fresh, modern, and relevant. The PHP 8 release continues this trend and has received a positive response from the developer community. Its new features and performance improvements are key highlights, particularly when combined with PHP frameworks for web development like Laravel and Symfony, which fully leverage these enhancements. Moreover, the newest version pushes the boundaries beyond web development. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that PHP 8.0 is another big leap that keeps developers focused and excited about programming.

Kishan Lashkari

Kishan Lashkari is the Operations Manager at Tuvoc Technologies with 12+ years in IT operations and software development. He helps startups and enterprises build custom software using technologies like PHP and Laravel with seamless user experience.