Articles, news, takes, and tutorials about PHP
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Learn PHP date format patterns with date() and DateTimeImmutable::format(), including escaping, timestamps, time zones, and copy-ready examples.
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Use PHP trim() to clean input, remove edge characters, and understand why hidden whitespace or Unicode spaces can survive.
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See the latest PHP version, which branches are still supported, when each support window ends, and how to tell whether your project is behind.
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Use PHP isset() to check whether a variable or array key exists and is not null, and understand when empty(), ??, or array_key_exists() is the better fit.
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Use PHP substr() to extract part of a string, understand negative offsets and lengths, and know when mb_substr() is the safer choice.
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Check whether a PHP string contains a value with str_contains(), use strpos() safely on older PHP versions, and handle case sensitivity without false positives.
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Decode JSON in PHP with json_decode(), choose arrays vs objects, catch errors with JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR, and avoid null, depth, and bigint surprises.
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Use PHP implode() to join array values into strings, choose the right separator, handle associative arrays, and avoid the edge cases that trip people up.
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Is PHP dead? Let’s look at the March 2026 PHP usage statistics and see what the data really says about its future.
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PHP 8.6 is scheduled for November 19, 2026. Here are the confirmed features already landed, the accepted RFCs still pending, and the proposals still worth watching.
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Partial function application in PHP 8.6 explained in plain language, with simple real examples for JSON responses, logging, DB connections, and jobs.
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Is PHP dead? Let’s look at the December 2025 PHP usage statistics and see what the data really says about its future.
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Pest 4 lands with first-class browser testing (Playwright-powered), smoke & visual regression checks, test sharding, faster type coverage, and small but handy CLI/arch tweaks. Here’s what’s new and how to upgrade from Pest 3.
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PHP 8.5 shipped on November 20, 2025. Here are 15 useful features and changes, from the pipe operator and URI extension to clone() updates and fatal error backtraces.
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Discover how Pest 3 simplifies architecture testing with pre-configured presets, making it effortless to enforce best practices and maintain code quality in your projects.
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Learn what’s new in Pest 3: architecture testing presets, mutation testing, and Team Management, plus how to upgrade from Pest 2 to Pest 3 with composer update.
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A recommendation of the best packages to use in any PHP project in 2024.
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Make an informed decision for your PHP applications thanks to my list of the best cloud hosting providers.
Jan 24, 20248 mins -
Whether PHP is dead is a matter of statistics, not opinions. I will provide you with essential statistics that will lead you to make better decisions.
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Discover a neat new addition to PHP 8.3 that will help express your intent: the Override attribute.
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Use PHP array_filter() with callbacks, remove empty values carefully, filter by key, and reindex the result when you need clean numeric keys.
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Use PHP array_values() to reset numeric keys after filtering or unsetting items and get a clean zero-based array back.
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Sort arrays in PHP with sort(), rsort(), asort(), arsort(), ksort(), krsort(), and usort(), and choose the right function for indexed or associative arrays.
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Use PHP explode() to split a string by a fixed delimiter, understand limit behavior, and know when preg_split() or str_getcsv() is the better tool.
