Why doesn't Microsoft support php8?

What is the reason why Microsoft does not support php8?

Many developers choose to use PHP as one of their preferred programming languages ​​when developing and running web applications. PHP is a concise, flexible and easy-to-learn language that is widely used in various web development projects. However, it has recently been noticed that Microsoft does not provide support for PHP8, which raises some questions: Why does Microsoft not support PHP8? Is this an issue for developers using the Windows platform and the Microsoft technology stack?

To understand why Microsoft does not support php8, we need to understand some background information. PHP8 is the latest version released in November 2020, introducing many important new features and improvements. These improvements include performance improvements, new language features, and an improved type system, allowing developers to write and manage PHP code more efficiently. However, unlike previous versions, PHP8 uses a kernel implementation called the "new version engine", which changes PHP's behavior at runtime to some extent.

When Microsoft develops and maintains its Web platform, it mainly focuses on and gives priority to supporting its own technology stack, such as ASP.NET and C#. This makes sense because Microsoft wants to promote its own technology and platform so that developers choose to use Microsoft's solutions. Microsoft has invested significant resources to support and improve ASP.NET, including providing complete and ongoing technical support, providing development tools and documentation, and actively participating in the open source community.

However, this does not mean that Microsoft has no interest in or support for other programming languages ​​and technologies. Microsoft has always been committed to openness and supporting a diverse technology ecosystem. For popular programming languages ​​​​such as PHP, Microsoft also provides basic support for it, such as the integration of IIS servers and Microsoft SQL Server databases with PHP.

Back to the issue of php8, one of the main reasons why Microsoft does not support php8 is compatibility issues. Since php8 uses a new engine, this means there are some incompatible changes between it and previous versions. This may cause some PHP applications that ran fine on previous versions to have problems when upgrading to the new version. To maintain stability and reliability, Microsoft may need more time to test and resolve these issues to ensure users of its web platform and Microsoft technology stack are not affected.

In addition, Microsoft may also take into account factors such as market demand and user feedback. Although PHP is very popular in web development, technologies such as ASP.NET and C# still occupy a large market share. In contrast, support for php8 may only be important to a small number of users who develop in PHP. Microsoft may decide to invest resources in more important projects and technical support to better meet the needs of its users.

However, although Microsoft does not directly support php8, it does not mean that developers cannot use this version on Windows platforms. PHP is an open source language that runs on multiple platforms. Developers can download the latest php8 binaries from the php.net official website and install and configure them themselves on Windows platforms. Although there may be a lack of specific integration and support provided by Microsoft, developers can still develop and deploy using PHP8.

To sum up, the main reason why Microsoft does not support php8 is compatibility issues and considerations of market demand. Microsoft pays more attention to and prioritizes supporting its own technology stacks, such as ASP.NET and C#. Despite this, developers can still develop with php8 on Windows platforms, it may just lack the specific integration and support provided by Microsoft. For developers who have this need, they need to rely more on the PHP community and other third-party tools to meet their needs.

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