PHP Programming in the AI Era: Build faster PHP applications using GenAI, modern PHP features, and production-ready workflows

About the Book

Accelerate PHP performance with AI by generating, refining, and optimizing code using modern patterns, async workflows, and secure design with practical recipes Key Features Use Generative AI to write, optimize, and debug PHP 8 code in real-world scenarios Build high-performance applications using JIT, OPcache, Fibers, and async programming Implement robust encryption, CAPTCHA, session protection, and test-driven development with AI assistance. Book DescriptionPHP 8 introduces powerful features like JIT compilation, Fibers, union types, and attributes, but many developers struggle to use them effectively in real-world projects. This book solves that problem by combining PHP 8 with Generative AI to help you build faster, smarter, and more reliable applications. Through practical, hands-on recipes, you’ll learn how to use AI to generate clean OOP code, design scalable architectures, and automate repetitive development tasks. You’ll optimize performance using OPcache, JIT, and async programming while also implementing robust security practices and modern design patterns. The book goes beyond basics, covering real-world use cases such as building REST APIs, microservices, WebSocket-based applications, and database-driven systems. You’ll also learn how to modernize legacy PHP applications, improve code quality with AI-assisted testing, and apply test-driven development workflows. By the end, you’ll be able to confidently use AI alongside PHP 8 to build secure, high-performance, and production-ready web applications.What you will learn Use GenAI prompts to generate, refactor, and optimize PHP classes and functions Create high-performance apps using JIT, OPcache, and async programming Build secure web apps with session protection, encryption, CAPTCHA, and token-based forms Work with databases using AI-generated queries and caching strategies Design scalable systems with OOP, design patterns, and microservices Develop REST APIs, WebSockets, and real-time applications using AI assistance Apply test-driven development with AI-generated acceptance criteria and automated tests Who this book is forThis book is for intermediate to advanced PHP developers who are familiar with core PHP concepts such as variables, functions, and object-oriented programming, and have hands-on experience building applications. It is aimed at professionals and enthusiasts who want to enhance their skills by integrating Generative AI tools into everyday PHP development. Readers are looking for practical, real-world recipes that leverage modern PHP features, such as union types, JIT compilation, fibers, and attributes, and helps them build applications faster while maintaining control over AI-generated output.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents

1. Building a Foundation
2. Using PHP 8 High Performance Features
3. Working with PHP Functional Programming
4. Working with PHP Object-Oriented Programming
5. Interacting with a Database
6. Building Scalable Websites
7. Accessing Web Services
8. Working with Date/Time and International Aspects
9. Developing Middleware, PHP Async and WebSockets
10. Looking at Advanced Algorithms
11. Implementing Software Design Patterns
12. Improving Web Security
13. Best Practices, Testing, and Debugging

About the Author :
Doug Bierer has been hooked on computers since his first program, written on a DEC PDP-8, in 1971. In his wide-ranging career, he has been a professional contract programmer since 1978, having written applications in BASIC, PL/I, assembler, FORTH, C, C++, dBase/FoxBase/Clipper, Pascal, Perl, Java, and PHP. He deployed his first website in 1993 while living in San Francisco. Since January 2023, he has worked extensively with various AI tools and has used models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and xAI. He speaks four (human) languages, has traveled to cities on four continents, and now resides in Cambodia. He is author of multiple technical books and loves sharing his knowledge. Rainier Sarabia is a Software Engineering Manager, who currently works in Melbourne, Australia for Astute Payroll, a Deel company. He has worked on hundreds of complex software projects, including massive enterprise SaaS products while leading and training senior engineers from all over the world. His favorite programming languages are PHP, C#, Java, and Javascript which he uses for both professional and personal projects. He co-founded his first tech company back in 2014, with over 400,000 users. Outside of working hours, he is an amateur astronomer. He spends most of his time doing astrophotography focusing on deep-sky objects like nebulae and galaxies.