PHP 8: An Overview of the Latest Update
PHP is the most popular programming language used for developing applications of varying complexity. A new update was released on November 26, 2020. The major release of PHP 8 contains significant improvements and new features over the previous version. All programmers working with this programming language should read the changes to refactor existing code and run it in PHP 8.
Although the release of PHP 8 has already taken place, the developers note that the technology is under development and finalization, and in the future, the number of useful options will increase. The new version contains innovations but some functions have been deprecated (deprecated). Switching to PHP 8 should be easy for developers using up-to-date versions of the language.
Fundamental Differences from Previous PHP Versions
The new release includes the following key updates:
- JIT is a dynamic compilation of an application (just in time). The new version has the maximum performance, elevating PHP to the first place in the ranking of the programming languages with dynamic compilation. Thanks to the innovation, it becomes possible even to create applications for AI, and mathematical operations are performed at great speed;
- Union Types. PHP is a dynamically typed language, combining two or more types can be useful in cases where a function takes an argument of one of several types but it is not known exactly which one of the types;
- Function ::class to get the class name of an object. Previously, the developers used the get_class function, the innovation works in the same was but has a shorter notation;
- Throw Expression. The new version changes "throw" from being a statement to being an expression, even if only arrow functions and operators are allowed but there is no way to throw an exception;
- Static Return type is used to indicate late binding when returning the result of a function. When returning the current object of $this class, the modifier static must now be specified, not "this";
- Stringable Interface. Any class implementing the __toString () method will automatically implement this interface without the need for manual implementation. The innovation is intended for a more explicit type conversion;
- Unnamed Exceptions. Previously, when handling an exception caused by an error, it was necessary to save the value to a variable, even if the value was not planned to use it further. This led to the writing of redundant unused code. Now it is possible to catch an exception without saving data to a variable.
New Operators and Syntax Changes
The changes introduced in PHP 8 affected the usual syntax and used operators:
- Null Safe Operator. All PHP programmers are well aware that null is a dangerous thing and can get you a lot of trouble. The result of any called function should pass a null check, which causes a lot of junk code. The null safe operator allows you to control the behavior of methods;
- Match Operator, which replaces switch and greatly reduces the amount of code, makes use of break unnecessary and does not perform type casts. What's important is that match performs a loose comparison (==), unlike switch (===);
- Named Arguments. The new version of the language makes it possible to pass parameters to a function with the name of the value. Now there is no need for a specific order, no need to specify optional arguments. Now it is possible to use associative arrays when specifying named parameters;
- Attributes (Annotations). The new PHP 8 syntax makes it easier to add metadata to classes, now there is no need to parse doc block comments;
- Shorthand Syntax combines class and constructor properties and is intended to simplify the initialization of class fields. But if the developer uses variable fields, you need to manually write them and set the values in the constructor.
Website Development in PHP 8
The DEVNRISE web agency provides services for the development of PHP apps of varying complexity:
- corporate websites;
- Internet applications;
- B2B and B2C applications.
Web development is carried out both using content management systems (MODX), and based on popular frameworks that provide sufficient website performance (Laravel, Yii 2.0). To learn more about PHP 8 app development and marketing strategy, please contact us. You can contact us using the online form on the website, email, or by phone number, and find out the cost of your project today!
