Getting Started with HHVM and WordPress

HHVM: A Retrospective Look at Facebook's PHP Alternative

HHVM (HipHop Virtual Machine) once generated significant buzz in the PHP community, promising performance improvements over Zend's PHP engine. Leveraging Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation, HHVM aimed for speed and flexibility. However, the landscape has shifted.

This article explores HHVM's past and present relevance:

1. What is HHVM? HHVM is a virtual machine, similar to Zend Engine (PHP's interpreter), but employing JIT compilation for enhanced performance. While both can (theoretically) execute the same code, HHVM's approach differs significantly.

2. What is Hack? Hack is a programming language built upon PHP, extending it with features not found in standard PHP. Crucially, Hack's unique features are only compatible with HHVM, not Zend Engine.

3. HHVM vs. Traditional PHP: Early benchmarks favored HHVM over PHP 5.*, but the performance gap narrowed considerably with the release of PHP 7. While HHVM might still outperform PHP 7 in certain scenarios, real-world performance can vary.

4. HHVM's Current Importance: HHVM's hype has subsided. While a valuable innovation, its advantages are less pronounced given PHP 7's and later versions' performance improvements.

5. Benchmarks: While specific benchmarks are presented in the original article (images included), it's important to note that results can vary based on system configuration and workload.

HHVM and WordPress:

While HHVM could improve WordPress site performance, its use requires caution. Compatibility issues with certain plugins and themes are possible, and importantly, WordPress no longer officially supports HHVM. Future updates may break compatibility.

Setting up HHVM and WordPress (using Docker):

The original article details setting up HHVM and WordPress using Docker, simplifying installation across different operating systems. This method avoids direct OS-level installations of PHP, HHVM, nginx, or MySQL. The instructions involve using docker-compose to manage containers and configuring nginx to work with HHVM. Switching back to PHP is also described.

Benchmark Results (from original article):

The article presents benchmark results using Apache Bench (ab), showing a significant performance difference between PHP 7 and HHVM in a specific test configuration. However, these results are not universally applicable.

Conclusion:

HHVM represents a significant contribution to the PHP ecosystem, driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of PHP performance. However, with the advancements in PHP itself, its practical advantages are less compelling than they once were. While experimentation is encouraged, using HHVM with WordPress requires careful consideration of potential compatibility issues and the lack of official support.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

The FAQs section provides comprehensive answers to common questions regarding HHVM and WordPress integration, covering compatibility, performance implications, installation, troubleshooting, and alternatives. These FAQs clarify the practical considerations of using HHVM in a WordPress environment.

The provided images remain in their original format and location within the text.

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