PHP 8.1.0 is a significant update to the PHP language, released on November 25, 2021. This version includes various improvements, optimizations, and new features, demonstrating PHP's dedication to meeting modern web development requirements.
PHP 8.1.0 Downloads
Stable PHP 8.1.0 is available on the PHP download page: https://www.php.net/downloads.php.
What's New in PHP 8.1.0
PHP 8.1.0 has many new features and performance boosts, requiring adjustments to existing code for compatibility with this new version. According to the PHP 8.1.0 release notes, significant improvements and features include:
- Enums
- Readonly Properties
- First-Class Callable Syntax
- Fibers
- Intersection Types
- Never Return Type
- New Initializers
- Explicit Octal Integer Literal Notation
- New array_is_list() Function
- New str_contains(), str_starts_with(), and str_ends_with() Functions
- IntlDateTimePatternGenerator Class
- Final Class Constants
- fsync() and fdatasync() Functions
- XChaCha20 Encryption Support
- MYSQLI_REFRESH_REPLICA Constant
- Lossless WebP Encoding Support
- AVIF Image Format Support
- DNS-over-HTTPS Support
- CURLStringFile Class
- Migration of Resource Types to Objects
- Deprecations and Removals
- JIT Backend for ARM64 (AArch64)
- Inheritance Cache
- Fast Class Name Resolution
- Timelib and Ext/Date Performance Enhancements
- SPL File-System Iterators Upgrades
- Serialize/Unserialize Optimizations
- Internal Functions Optimization
- JIT Improvements and Fixes
The PHP 8.1.0 Announcement Addendum page: https://www.php.net/releases/8.1/en.php contains more detailed information about the updates and new features of the PHP 8.1.0 release.
Conclusion
PHP 8.1.0 is a significant update to the PHP language that introduces new features that simplify complex web development tasks and improve performance and readability. Web developers should upgrade to PHP 8.1.0 from previous versions to take advantage of these new features and improvements.
