Timeline

PHP 8 Released: Introduces a just-in-time (JIT) compiler for performance optimization, union types, attributes, and match expressions. This release solidifies PHP’s modern capabilities.

PHP 7 Released: After skipping PHP 6 (due to an unsuccessful experiment), PHP 7 launches with major performance improvements through Zend Engine 3.0. Features include strict typing, null coalescing, and spaceship operators.

The Era of Modern PHP (PHP 5.6): Adds features like constant scalar expressions and variadic functions, which streamline code and enhance flexibility.

PHP 5.3 Introduces Namespaces: Key additions include namespaces, late static binding, and anonymous functions. These features make PHP more suitable for large, complex applications.

PHP 5 Released: This version brings significant updates, including Zend Engine 2.0, better object-oriented programming (OOP) support, and the introduction of features like exceptions and SimpleXML.

PHP 4 Launched: Powered by the new Zend Engine 1.0, PHP 4 introduces robust features such as improved performance, session handling, and support for more web servers.

PHP 3 Goes Public: PHP 3 is officially released, gaining widespread popularity and marking the beginning of PHP’s dominance in web development.

PHP 3 Introduced: Zeev Suraski and Andi Gutmans completely rewrite the language, transforming it into PHP 3. They introduce a more extensible architecture, laying the foundation for modern PHP.

PHP/FI Released: Lerdorf publicly releases PHP/FI (“Personal Home Page/Forms Interpreter”) as a set of tools for creating dynamic websites. It includes simple Perl-like syntax and basic capabilities.

Rasmus Lerdorf develops “Personal Home Page Tools” to track visits to his online resume. This simple tool eventually evolves into PHP.