Discover effective techniques, workarounds, and expert guidance for avoiding situations where your application might break following PHP 8 migration Key Features Get the hang of all the new features introduced in PHP 8 - Learn how to detect potential code breaks and keep your application code running smoothly in PHP 8 - Explore an exciting new trend - asynchronous PHP programming using Swoole and Fibers Book Description Thanks to its ease of use, PHP is a highly popular programming language used on over 78% of all web servers connected to the Internet. PHP 8 Programming Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices will help you to get up-to-speed with PHP 8 quickly. The book is intended for any PHP developer who wants to become familiar with the cool new features available in PHP 8, and covers areas where developers might experience backward compatibility issues with their existing code after a PHP 8 update. The book thoroughly explores best practices, and highlights ways in which PHP 8 enforces these practices in a much more rigorous fashion than its earlier versions. You'll start by exploring new PHP 8 features in the area of object-oriented programming (OOP), followed by enhancements at the procedural level. You'll then learn about potential backward compatible breaks and discover best practices for improving performance. The last chapter of the book gives you insights into PHP async, a revolutionary new way of programming, by providing detailed coverage and examples of asynchronous programming using the Swoole extension and Fibers. By the end of this PHP book, you'll not only have mastered the new features, but you'll also know exactly what to watch out for when migrating older PHP applications to PHP 8. What you will learn Gain a comprehensive understanding of the new PHP 8 object-oriented features - Discover new PHP 8 procedural programming enhancements - Understand improvements in error handling in PHP 8 - Identify potential backward compatibility issues - Avoid traps due to changes in PHP extensions - Find out which features have been deprecated and/or removed in PHP 8 - Become well-versed with programming best practices enforced by PHP 8 Who this book is for This book is for PHP developers at all levels who have experience in PHP 5 or above. If you're just getting started with PHP, you'll find the code examples useful for learning the language. Developers who have worked for a few months on one or more PHP projects will be able to apply the tips and techniques to the code at hand, while those with many years of PHP experience are sure to appreciate the concise coverage of new PHP 8 features. Table of Contents Introducing New PHP 8 OOP Features - Learning about PHP 8's Functional Additions - Taking Advantage of Error-Handling Enhancements - Making Direct C-Language Calls - Discovering Potential OOP Backward-Compatibility Breaks - Understanding PHP 8 Functional Differences - Avoiding Traps When Using PHP 8 Extensions - Learning about PHP 8's Deprecated or Removed Functionality - Mastering PHP 8 Best Practices - Improving Performance - Migrating Existing PHP Apps to PHP 8 - Creating PHP 8 Applications Using Asynchronous Programming "I've known Doug Bierer for many years now. It has been my great privilege to work with him on training new PHP developers and helping existing ones to grow their skills. I have even had the distinct privilege of butchering the pronunciation of his name many times. Through the years, though, I've come to respect Doug's ability to take technical concepts and put them in a language that just about anyone can understand. PHP 8 is a huge leap forward. Even as we write about PHP 8.0, PHP 8.1 is in the alpha stages of testing, and the tools and concepts embodied in PHP today are as good as they are in any language built for web development. By purchasing this book, you are taking the first step in being able to harness the power of PHP 8 in your own projects. When you combine the knowledge, you will gain from this book and Doug's skill at making the concepts understandable and immediately applicable to your problems, you will have lit the fuse on a rocket that will propel your skills and your career to new heights. Strap in and hold on – this is going to be a fun ride!" Cal Evans, Senior Consultant, EICC, Inc. "Doug Bierer’s book is a must-read if you want to quickly learn all the new features of PHP 8 (and 8.1). All the concepts are explained in detail using real code examples, fully available on GitHub. I especially enjoyed Chapter 10 about performance containing a detailed explanation of how the JIT compiler works. The book is full of tips and tricks, including some hidden gems like ‘Securing SQLite Databases with the Authorizer’. Finally, Chapter 12 is worth reading as it’s about async programming including an introduction to the new Fiber class of PHP 8.1." Enrico Zimuel, Principal Software Engineer at Elastic. Doug Bierer has been hooked on computers since his first program, wr