Understanding PHP Versions and Support Lifecycles

PHP versions move from active support to security-only support and then end of life.

What It Does and When to Use It

Read the runtime version rather than inferring it from package installation. A minimum platform requirement controls what syntax can be parsed; target-version tests find runtime and extension incompatibilities.

Requirements, Inputs and Expected Behavior

Confirm the runtime, extension, environment variables, and permissions before running the examples in production. Check official release dates before choosing a target runtime; do not hardcode expiry dates in templates.

Example 1: Basic Operation

Read the runtime version rather than inferring it from package installation.

<?php
echo PHP_VERSION, PHP_EOL;
echo 'Minor: ', PHP_MAJOR_VERSION,'.',PHP_MINOR_VERSION,PHP_EOL;

Example 2: Behavior and Validation

Compare a minimum version rather than guessing feature availability.

<?php
$requirements=['8.2','8.4','8.5'];
foreach ($requirements as $minimum) echo "$minimum: ",version_compare(PHP_VERSION,$minimum,'>=')?'supported by syntax':'upgrade required',PHP_EOL;

Practical Example: Application Use

Cross-check required extensions and runtime INI configuration.

composer check-platform-reqs
php --ini

Important Behavior and Edge Cases

The second example highlights: Compare a minimum version rather than guessing feature availability. The practical example adds: Cross-check required extensions and runtime INI configuration.

Comparison with Related Approaches

Common Beginner Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• PHP versions move from active support to security-only support and then end of life.
• Cross-check required extensions and runtime INI configuration.
• Do not introduce syntax from a newer minor version before every production host supports it.