Some New Features in PHP 5.4 that Needs To Be Listed

The new version, 5.4 of PHP has finally arrived, and it comes up with a string of new features that is extremely important for the developers to know or need to have a grip on. While there are features that have already been there in PHP, and have only been further developed, there are certain features that have been added afresh.

Traits

This is one of the most significant features of the version 5.4, which consists of code fragments or a set or string of methods, which can be used repeatedly across the classes horizontally. In case of other languages, mixins or multiple inheritances address this particular issue. However, traits do not offer states in forms of properties. It offers a copy and paste method that is assisted by interpreter. Moreover, traits come up with a unique conflict resolution mechanism. Besides, the multiple traits can be used in the same class, even if certain methods are overlapping.

Improved Arrays though syntax and dereferencing

Arrays act like super glue In PHP. They are one of the strongest as well as the longest constructs. As a result of this, shorter syntaxes can also be used in the new version for defining in associative as well as numerical way. The structure of the syntax introduces brackets as short-hand, which has properly been defined and included in PHP scripts.

HTTP Server that is built-in

It also comes up with an in-built HTTP Server for current directories, for the purpose of testing as well as development. Then there are a number of additional options, which include customer document root as well as a router script that can be called upon each request.

Built-in Web Server (CLI)

CLI Server is not designed or developed to be used as a production Web server. It is basically used for conducting some of the PHP regression tests as well as other mechanisms of unit testing. In version 4.5, it comes up with some interesting as well as useful features for daily code debugging jobs that are conducted from the command line.

Deprecations

The latest version of PHP does not have a few of the older features such has the Magic Quotes option, which are either modified in the new version or have been dropped altogether. Again, the PHP namespace is now exclusively reserved to deal with the native code. The E_STRICT errors, which cover the correct usage of the object-oriented constructs as well as deprecation warning, are now covered by E_ALL error reporting, which will point out to each and every error, notice or warning.

Other changes and improvements

PHP version 5.4 has also seen some other minor, not so revolutionary, yet handy improvements that the developers will appreciate at the end of the day.

The latest edition has the ability of disabling the processing of POST data for saving memory CPU cycles. In case this property is activated, it is still possible to go and read the raw data through the input stream path.

JsonSerializable Interface has been introduced and this will help making an object acceptable to the json_encode().

Other improvements include:

Added callable typehint, which provides a function name, an array, composed of an object or a classname, a closure, and a method name, for a definite string.

Added Closure rebinding as parameter to bindTo

This particular feature has been modified so much so that it will now accept any other type of argument, which will define a new scope. This can well be an object in case its class is used as class name or a scope.

Improvement in Memory and Performance

Besides, there are quite a number of internal structures that have either been contracted or have been altogether been eliminated and this has led to almost 20 to 50 per cent memory savings in the larger applications. This has also bettered the performance by 10 to 30 percent, though a series of optimizations that include inlining of various common paths of codes. You can hire PHP developers from PHP development company for your web development needs, who can help you build web apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide custom PHP development services. If you would like to hire developers or would like to discuss with our developers about your projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.