New PHP 7.4 Release: The Features and Value Additions

This article discusses the new features and additions in PHP 7.4. The arrow functions or short functions is one of the most important features of PHP 7.4.

New PHP 7.4 Release: The Features and Value Additions

PHP 7.4 new features - New PHP 7.4 Release: The Features and Value Additions

PHP or Hypertext Preprocessor as the most popular web language hardly needs any introduction. PHP is almost everywhere on the web, across all CMS platforms, development frameworks and plugins and extensions. PHP 7.4 has just been released in Alpha and Beta versions and the final release is scheduled in November this year.

Let us have a brief look at all the new features and value additions of new PHP 7.4.

What PHP 7.4 Will Bring?

Compared to the earlier versions of PHP,  this version came with a lot of performance boosting aspects and a better syntax. The new PHP version also offers us more code readability and maintainability as well. With the new PHP 7.4 the code is less redundant, exceptionally reliable and much faster in terms of performance.

Let's have a look at the key enhancements of the new PHP 7.4.

Arrow Functions

The arrow functions or short functions will allow developers do less coding by writing shorter code for PHP functions. Arrow functions will facilitate using a single expression that at the same time can serve the purpose of a return statement will help programmers doing away with the one-liner closure statements.

Class Properties

This PHP version offering class properties for the first time will further boost efficiency and versatility. The best thing is that the feature can be introduced in already running PHP applications without breaking the code.

Null Coalescing Operations

While code redundancy remains to be an aching problem for many PHP developers, the new version with the help of null coalescing operations will help in minimising this.

Weak Reference Support

The Weak Reference Support feature in new PHP 7.4 will help developers with cache like structures that can be destroyed when not needed.

Performance Boost

Great enhancement in performance and speed is one of the few strengths of the new PHP version. The preloading to the PHP core carried out through an Opcache extension will help minimising the response time faster and the loading time for scripts will be reduced to the optimum level.

PHP 7.4 Alpha, Beta and Final Release

Months ahead of the full release of the new PHP version, PHP 7.4 Alpha has been released a few months before and the PHP 7.4 Alpha version can be downloaded free from PHP.net. Following the Alpha release in June this year PHP 7.4 Beta version was released with further fine-tuning and improvements over the Alpha version. After another Beta release the final version will be released at the end of this year.

Conclusion

PHP 7.4 has already been scheduled for release in November this year. With the unveiling of the beta releases in the coming months, the features will be finalised for the final version. The new PHP 7.4 has already received worldwide attention from the PHP developers because of several key enhancements and feature upgrades keeping sync with the ever-changing character of the web.