Modern PHP Features

PHP 8.x Features

• Named Arguments: htmlspecialchars(string: $text, double_encode: false) — skip optional parameters, self-documenting function calls. Combine with positional arguments
• Match Expression: match($status) { 'active' => 'green', 'pending' => 'yellow', default => 'gray' } — strict comparison, returns a value, no fallthrough. Replaces verbose switch statements
• Enums: enum Status: string { case Active = 'active'; case Inactive = 'inactive'; } — type-safe constants with methods and interfaces. Replaces magic strings and class constants
• Readonly Properties: public readonly string $name — can only be set once (in constructor). Promotes immutability. readonly class makes ALL properties readonly
• Null Safe Operator: $user?->address?->city — returns null if any part is null instead of throwing an error. Eliminates nested null checks. Chain as deep as needed
• Union & Intersection Types: function parse(string|int $input): User|null — accept multiple types. Intersection: Countable&Iterator. DNF types in PHP 8.2: (A&B)|null
• Constructor Promotion: public function __construct(private string $name, private int $age) {} — declares and assigns properties in one line. Eliminates boilerplate property declarations