Composer.json Validator
Validate composer.json structure and common mistakes without running composer install.
Legacy PHP modernization
Upgrade PHP 5/7/8 applications, Composer projects, databases, security practices, and Zend Framework stacks with staged migration guides and scanners.
This hub is for inherited and long-lived PHP applications—not greenfield tutorials. Start with inventory and backups, then raise runtime versions behind tests.
Start here
- I inherited this PHP application
- What PHP version does this code need?
- Legacy PHP audit checklist
- Modernization Roadmap tool
PHP version upgrades
- PHP version migration center
- PHP 5 → modern PHP (flagship)
- PHP 7 → PHP 8 (deep) · checklist
- Compatibility tables
- Removed functions library
- Deprecated features
Browse by situation
Server-rendered links below stay crawlable. Filters refine the list in your browser without hiding the hubs.
Legacy code scanners
Zend Framework
Composer
Database
Security
Sessions & errors
Testing & incremental delivery
Web server / runtime
Deployment
Developer tools
Legacy PHP Risk Checker
Paste PHP source for a static scan that classifies removed APIs, deprecated calls, and security-sensitive legacy patterns—without executing…
Nginx + PHP-FPM Generator
Generate Nginx server snippets that pass PHP to PHP-FPM over a Unix socket or TCP upstream.
PHP Deprecated Checker
Find deprecated functions and patterns in pasted PHP to prioritize modernization work.
PHP Environment Compare
Compare two PHP environment summaries to find directive and extension mismatches.
PHP Modernization Roadmap
Build an ordered migration stage list from your PHP version, framework, Composer, database API, and deployment choices—linked to real ZendS…
PHP Password Hash Tool
Generate and verify password_hash()/password_verify() examples using modern PHP password APIs.
PHP Version Compatibility Checker
Scan pasted PHP for version-sensitive syntax and APIs to plan upgrades across PHP releases.
PHP-FPM Pool Calculator
Estimate pm.max_children and related pool sizing from RAM, average worker usage, and reserve.
PSR-4 Autoload Checker
Check whether class paths match composer.json PSR-4 namespace prefixes.
Currently supported PHP branches
Snapshot from php.net/supported-versions.php. Re-verify before production decisions.
| Branch | Status | Active until | Security until | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHP 8.2 | security | 2024-12-31 | 2026-12-31 | 2026-09-14 |
| PHP 8.3 | security | 2025-12-31 | 2027-12-31 | 2026-09-14 |
| PHP 8.4 | active | 2026-12-31 | 2028-12-31 | 2026-09-14 |
| PHP 8.5 | active | 2027-12-31 | 2029-12-31 | 2026-09-14 |
Modernization guides
- Inheriting a Legacy PHP Application A first-30-days playbook for developers handed an unfamiliar PHP codebase: runtime truth, risk triage, and sa…
- PHP 5 to Modern PHP: Complete Incremental Migration Guide A deep, production-minded path from PHP 5.x codebases to supported PHP 8.x: removed extensions, charset, PDO,…
- PHP 7 to PHP 8 Migration Guide Deep guide to PHP 8.0 breaking changes that matter for PHP 7 applications, with upgrade tactics through suppo…
- PHP Version Migration Center Maps from EOL PHP 5.x through supported PHP 8.2–8.5 branches, with checklists, removed APIs, and scanners for…
- Abandoned Composer Packages in Legacy Apps Detect abandoned dependencies, evaluate forks and replacements, and schedule removals so CVEs and PHP upgrade…
- Adding Composer to a Legacy PHP Project Introduce composer.json, a lockfile, and vendor/autoload.php into an existing application while keeping the c…
- Apache mod_php to PHP-FPM Modernization Move legacy Apache mod_php hosts to php-fpm via proxy_fcgi with clear process isolation, sockets, permissions…
- Composer Modernization Center Add Composer to legacy PHP projects, migrate includes to autoloading, set platform constraints, and replace a…
- Composer Platform Constraints for Real Servers Align require.php, config.platform, and extension requirements with the PHP you actually run—without using ig…
- Containerize Legacy PHP Applications Use Docker to pin PHP versions and extensions for legacy apps when it improves parity—without pretending cont…
- Deprecated PHP Features Hub Track deprecations that become fatals later: dynamic properties, null parameters, utf8_encode/decode, and how…
- Dynamic Properties Deprecated in PHP 8.2 Why creating undeclared object properties warns in PHP 8.2, and how to declare properties or opt in deliberat…
- How to Determine the PHP Version in Production Reliable ways to identify the PHP version actually serving web and CLI traffic—including panels, containers,…
- Incremental Modernization for Legacy PHP Upgrade inherited PHP systems gradually with facades, adapters, routing seams, and staged Composer adoption i…
- Legacy PHP Application Audit Checklist Interactive browser checklist for inherited PHP apps: runtime, framework, Composer, DB, sessions, FPM, cron,…
- Legacy PHP CLI and Cron Modernization Run cron and CLI PHP with the correct binary, ini, working directory, locking, and logging so scheduled jobs…
- Legacy PHP Project Structure Modernization Separate the public document root from application code and adopt a practical public/src/config/storage/tests…
- Managing Legacy Composer Dependencies Operational strategies for abandoned packages, platform pins, forks, security advisories, and PHP version unl…
- Manual Includes to Composer Autoloading Stage a migration from require/include trees to Composer classmap and PSR-4 without deleting every include on…
- Migrating from PHP 5 to PHP 7 Practical PHP 5→7 upgrade focus: removed ext/mysql and ereg, engine changes, and why 7.4 is often the bridge…
- Migrating from PHP 5 to PHP 8 End-to-end view of jumping PHP 5 codebases toward supported PHP 8.x without skipping mechanical removals.
- Migrating from PHP 7.4 to PHP 8 Focused upgrade notes for the common PHP 7.4 production baseline moving onto PHP 8.x.
- Migrating from PHP 8.0 to PHP 8.1 PHP 8.1 upgrade notes: resource-to-object migrations, null parameter deprecations, mysqli exceptions, and $GL…
- Migrating from PHP 8.1 to PHP 8.2 PHP 8.2 upgrade focus: dynamic properties deprecation, utf8_encode/decode, locale-insensitive string function…
- Migrating from PHP 8.2 to PHP 8.3 PHP 8.3 upgrade notes highlighting range() changes, negative array index behavior, Date exceptions, and stack…
- Migrating from PHP 8.3 to PHP 8.4 PHP 8.4 upgrade guidance: exit()/die() behavior, E_STRICT removal, JIT defaults, and sharper ValueErrors.
- Migrating from PHP 8.4 to PHP 8.5 PHP 8.5 upgrade notes based on the official migration85 incompatible changes: Opcache built-in, cast warnings…
- MySQL utf8mb4 Migration for PHP Apps Understand MySQL utf8 vs utf8mb4, plan table conversions, fix connection charset, and avoid mojibake and hist…
- Nginx and PHP-FPM for Legacy PHP Apps Front legacy PHP applications with nginx and PHP-FPM using a correct front controller, try_files, SCRIPT_FILE…
- Passing Null to Non-Nullable Parameters (PHP 8.1) Clear PHP 8.1 deprecations caused by passing null into internal functions that declare non-nullable parameter…
- Password Hashing Migration for Legacy PHP Move from MD5, SHA-1, and custom salts to password_hash, password_verify, and password_needs_rehash with a gr…
- PHP 7 to PHP 8 Migration Checklist A concise gate checklist for moving PHP 7 applications onto PHP 8.x before flipping production FPM pools.
- PHP Database Modernization Guide Move legacy PHP data access from mysql_* to mysqli/PDO with prepared statements, utf8mb4, transactions, and c…
- PHP Error Handling Modernization Replace display_errors-in-production habits with logging, Throwable-aware handlers, and migration-friendly tr…
- PHP mail() Modernization Replace fragile mail() usage with SMTP libraries, TLS credentials, queues, and basic deliverability concepts—…
- PHP Security Modernization for Legacy Applications Upgrade inherited PHP security practices: prepared statements, password hashing, sessions, CSRF, XSS escaping…
- PHP Session Modernization Guide Harden legacy PHP sessions with Secure, HttpOnly, and SameSite cookies, fixation defenses, regeneration, and…
- PHP Version Compatibility Tables Verified feature and support matrices for planning PHP upgrades, with careful marking where details are versi…
- PSR-4 Autoloading During PHP Modernization Map namespaces to directories correctly, avoid classmap-only traps, and migrate legacy class names toward PSR…
- Removed PHP Functions Hub Index of high-impact PHP functions and extensions removed from the language, with migration targets and scann…
- Replacing create_function() Remove create_function() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy PHP apps.
- Replacing each() Remove each() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy PHP apps.
- Replacing ereg() Remove ereg() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy PHP apps.
- Replacing mcrypt_encrypt() Remove mcrypt_encrypt() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy PHP apps.
- Replacing money_format() Remove money_format() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy PHP apps.
- Replacing mysql_connect Remove mysql_connect() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy PHP apps.
- Replacing mysql_query Remove mysql_query() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy PHP apps.
- Replacing mysql_real_escape_string Remove mysql_real_escape_string() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy P…
- Replacing split() Remove split() safely: lifecycle, modern replacements, and migration examples for legacy PHP apps.
- Testing Legacy PHP During Modernization Add characterization, smoke, and migration tests around inherited PHP without demanding a full rewrite before…
- utf8_encode and utf8_decode Deprecated Replace the ISO-8859-1 oriented utf8_encode/utf8_decode pair with explicit mbstring or iconv conversions.
Frequently asked questions
Should I rewrite a legacy PHP app all at once?
Usually no. Prefer incremental modernization: raise PHP versions behind tests, replace abandoned extensions, then migrate frameworks and tooling.