The new data structures in PHP8 make your code clearer and easier to understand

With the continuous development of the Internet, PHP has become one of the preferred languages ​​​​for mass developers and has become one of the commonly used programming languages ​​​​in the field of Internet development. In recent years, PHP has become more than just a function, but a complete, mature programming language capable of large-scale development. PHP8 was officially released in 2020, bringing many exciting features and updates. Among these new functions, the newly added data structures are even more eye-catching.

1. New data structures

In PHP8, some new data structures have been added, the most important of which are "Property References" and "Static Calls" .

Attribute reference refers to adding the & symbol before the name of the class attribute to make the attribute a reference, so that it can be modified without copying the memory. This reference method can improve efficiency and reduce memory usage. The sample code is as follows:

class A {
  public string $name = '';
}

$a = new A();
$b = &$a->name;
$b = 'new name';

echo $a->name; // 输出：new name

Static calling means adding double quotes between the class name and the function name, so that the function becomes a string and can be operated like an ordinary variable. This method of calling is less common in usage scenarios, but can play an important role in some situations. The sample code is as follows:

class A {
  public static function test() {
    return 'hello';
  }
}

$b = A::{'test'}();
echo $b; // 输出：hello

In addition, PHP8 also adds a JIT compiler (Just In Time), which allows PHP code to execute faster and greatly improves the performance of the code.

2. Why new data structures are needed

The main purpose of adding new data structures is to enable PHP developers to better perform object programming and functional programming. In the old version of PHP, object references and function calls were passed by value, which would lead to excessive memory usage and make it difficult to copy objects. This provides great advantages to other languages ​​such as Java and Python.

During the development process, developers may often need to maintain some references or static classes in objects or classes. However, older versions of PHP did not provide very good support, which also resulted in low efficiency when processing large amounts of data. Therefore, the new data structure in PHP8 can better take advantage of other efficient programming languages ​​and improve code efficiency and performance.

3. Application Scenarios

The two new data structures of PHP8, attribute reference and static call, can be used in many scenarios. The following are some application scenarios:

1. Object reference: If you often need to maintain some references in the object, then attribute reference is your best choice. It allows you to perform better maintenance and increase the efficiency of the entire application.

2. Static class: If you need to use static methods in a class, then static calls can play an important role. Because it provides faster code execution and higher performance.

3. Multi-threaded programming: When you need to handle multiple threads at the same time, the JIT compiler can help you execute your code faster. This saves a lot of time and system resources, allowing your application to process information more efficiently.

4. Conclusion

The new data structure of PHP8 can make your code clearer and easier to understand, and easier to develop and maintain. Whether you are a developer or a hobbyist, these features will greatly improve your work efficiency and code optimization capabilities. If you are considering using PHP to write more efficient, faster and more reliable applications, then you definitely need to learn to use PHP8's new data structures.

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