How to Download 7.4 PHP and Install it on Your Server in Minutes
How to Download and Install PHP 7.4 on Your System
PHP is one of the most popular and widely used programming languages for web development. It powers millions of websites, including WordPress, Facebook, Wikipedia, and many more. PHP is constantly evolving and improving, and the latest version, PHP 7.4, brings many new features and enhancements that make it faster, more reliable, and more user-friendly.
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In this article, you will learn how to download and install PHP 7.4 on your system, how to configure it with your web server, how to use its new features and improvements, and how to avoid common compatibility issues and errors. By the end of this article, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of PHP 7.4 and write better code for your web projects.
Introduction
PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, and it is a server-side scripting language that allows you to create dynamic and interactive web pages. PHP code is embedded in HTML code, and it is executed by a web server before sending the output to a web browser.
PHP has many advantages over other web languages, such as:
It is easy to learn and use, with a simple and expressive syntax.
It is cross-platform, meaning it can run on various operating systems and web servers.
It is open-source and free, meaning you can download, modify, and distribute it without any cost or license.
It has a large and active community of developers and users who provide support, documentation, tutorials, libraries, frameworks, tools, etc.
It has a rich set of built-in functions and features that cover various aspects of web development, such as database access, file handling, session management, email sending, XML parsing, etc.
PHP is also constantly improving and releasing new versions that add new features and enhancements, fix bugs and security issues, and improve performance and compatibility. The latest version of PHP is 7.4, which was released on November 28th, 2019.
PHP 7.4 is the fourth feature update to the PHP 7 series, which was first released in December 2015. PHP 7 brought a major overhaul to the language, making it significantly faster, more memory-efficient, more consistent, more secure, and more modern than the previous PHP 5 series.
PHP 7.4 builds on the success of PHP 7 by introducing many new features and improvements that make it more powerful, more flexible, and more user-friendly. Some of the most notable changes in PHP 7.4 are:
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Typed properties: You can now declare the type of class properties, such as int, string, array, etc. This helps to enforce data integrity and avoid errors.
Arrow functions: You can now use a shorter and simpler syntax for anonymous functions, also known as closures. This makes your code more concise and readable.
Null coalescing assignment operator: You can now use the ??= operator to assign a value to a variable only if it is null. This saves you from writing extra code and checks.
Spread operator in arrays: You can now use the ... operator to unpack an array or a traversable object into another array. This makes it easier to merge and manipulate arrays.
Preloading: You can now preload PHP scripts into the memory of the web server, which reduces the loading time and improves the performance of your web applications.
These are just some of the new features and improvements in PHP 7.4. There are many more, such as covariance and contravariance, weak references, custom object serialization, deprecations, etc. You can find a complete list of changes and details on the official PHP website.
However, upgrading to PHP 7.4 is not without its challenges. You may encounter some compatibility issues and errors if your code is not compatible with the new version. For example, some functions and features may be deprecated or removed, some syntax and behavior may change, some extensions and libraries may not work properly, etc.
To avoid these issues and errors, you should follow some best practices before upgrading to PHP 7.4, such as:
Backup your code and data: You should always make a backup of your code and data before making any changes to your system or environment. This way, you can restore them in case something goes wrong.
Test your code on a local or staging environment: You should never upgrade your production environment without testing your code on a local or staging environment first. This way, you can identify and fix any issues or errors before deploying them to the live server.
Use a compatibility checker tool: You can use a tool like PHPCompatibility to check your code for any potential compatibility issues with PHP 7.4. This tool scans your code and reports any warnings or errors that may occur with the new version.
Update your dependencies: You should also update your dependencies, such as extensions, libraries, frameworks, tools, etc., to their latest versions that support PHP 7.4. This way, you can ensure that they work properly and securely with the new version.
By following these best practices, you can ensure a smooth and successful upgrade to PHP 7.4.
Downloading PHP 7.4
The first step to installing PHP 7.4 is to download it from the official website or other sources. There are different ways to download PHP 7.4 depending on your system and preference.
Downloading from the official website
The official website of PHP provides various options for downloading PHP 7.4 for different platforms and systems. You can choose from:
Source code: This is the raw code of PHP that you can compile and install on your system. This option gives you more control and flexibility over the installation process, but it also requires more technical skills and tools.
Binaries: These are pre-compiled packages of PHP that you can install on your system without compiling them yourself. This option is easier and faster than the source code option, but it may not have all the features and extensions that you need.
Installers: These are executable files that guide you through the installation process of PHP on your system. This option is the simplest and most user-friendly way to install PHP, but it may not be available for all platforms and systems.
To download PHP 7.4 from the official website, you need to follow these steps:
Go to the downloads page of the official website.
Select your platform (Windows, Linux, macOS, etc.) from the menu.
Select your system (32-bit or 64-bit) from the menu.
Select your version (PHP 7.4) from the menu.
Select your option (source code, binaries, or installer) from the list.
Click on the download link or button to start downloading the file.Save the file to your desired location on your system.
Here is a table that summarizes the different options for downloading PHP 7.4 from the official website:
Option
Pros
Cons
Source code
More control and flexibility over the installation process
More technical skills and tools required
Binaries
Easier and faster than the source code option
May not have all the features and extensions that you need
Installers
The simplest and most user-friendly way to install PHP
May not be available for all platforms and systems
Downloading from other sources
If you prefer, you can also download PHP 7.4 from other sources, such as third-party websites, repositories, or package managers. These sources may provide different versions, packages, or distributions of PHP that suit your needs better than the official website. However, you should be careful and verify the source before downloading anything from it, as it may not be trustworthy or secure.
Some of the most popular and reliable sources for downloading PHP 7.4 are:
PHP.net archives: This is a mirror of the official website that provides older and newer versions of PHP, as well as snapshots and releases candidates.
Webtatic repository: This is a repository that provides updated packages of PHP for CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems.
Ondřej Surý PPA: This is a personal package archive that provides updated packages of PHP for Ubuntu and Debian systems.
Homebrew: This is a package manager that allows you to install PHP and other software on macOS systems.
XAMPP: This is a distribution of PHP that also includes Apache, MySQL, Perl, and other components for creating a local web server on Windows, Linux, or macOS systems.
WampServer: This is another distribution of PHP that also includes Apache, MySQL, and other components for creating a local web server on Windows systems.
To download PHP 7.4 from any of these sources, you need to follow their specific instructions and guidelines. You can find more information and documentation on their respective websites. Installing PHP 7.4
After downloading PHP 7.4 from the official website or other sources, you need to install it on your system and configure it with your web server. The installation process may vary depending on your platform, system, and option. Here are some general steps and tips for installing PHP 7.4 on different platforms:
Installing PHP 7.4 on Unix systems
If you downloaded the source code of PHP 7.4, you need to compile and install it on your Unix system. To do that, you need to have some tools and libraries installed on your system, such as GCC, Make, Autoconf, Libxml2, OpenSSL, etc. You can check the installation manual of PHP for more details and requirements.
To compile and install PHP 7.4 from the source code, you need to follow these steps:
Extract the downloaded file to a directory of your choice.
Navigate to the directory where you extracted the file.
Run the ./configure command with the options and extensions that you want to enable or disable. You can use the --help option to see the available options and extensions.
Run the make command to compile the source code.
Run the make test command to test the compiled code for any errors or issues.
Run the make install command to install PHP on your system.
If you downloaded the binaries of PHP 7.4, you need to install them on your Unix system. To do that, you need to follow these steps:
Extract the downloaded file to a directory of your choice.
Navigate to the directory where you extracted the file.
Copy the files to the appropriate locations on your system. For example, you can copy the php executable file to /usr/local/bin, and the php.ini configuration file to /usr/local/lib.
Edit the php.ini file to suit your preferences and needs. You can change various settings, such as error reporting, memory limit, date format, etc.
To configure PHP 7.4 with your web server, such as Apache or Nginx, you need to follow these steps:
Edit the configuration file of your web server to load the PHP module or handler. For example, if you are using Apache, you can edit the httpd.conf file and add these lines:
LoadModule php7_module modules/libphp7.so AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
Restart your web server to apply the changes.
Create a test PHP file in your web server's document root directory. For example, you can create a file named info.php with this content:
Open your web browser and navigate to the URL of your test PHP file. For example, if your web server's document root directory is /var/www/html, you can go to http://localhost/info.php.
You should see a page with information about your PHP installation, such as the version, the configuration, the extensions, etc.
Installing PHP 7.4 on Windows systems
If you downloaded the installer of PHP 7.4, you need to run it on your Windows system. To do that, you need to follow these steps:
Double-click on the downloaded file to launch the installer.
Follow the instructions and prompts on the installer wizard. You can choose the installation directory, the components, the web server, etc.
Finish the installation and close the installer.
If you downloaded the binaries of PHP 7.4, you need to extract them on your Windows system. To do that, you need to follow these steps:
Extract the downloaded file to a directory of your choice.
Navigate to the directory where you extracted the file.
Rename the file php.ini-development or php.ini-production to php.ini, depending on your environment and needs.
Edit the php.ini file to suit your preferences and needs. You can change various settings, such as error reporting, memory limit, date format, etc.
Add the directory where you extracted PHP to your system's PATH environment variable. This will allow you to run PHP from any location on your system.
To configure PHP 7.4 with your web server, such as IIS or Apache, you need to follow these steps:
Edit the configuration file of your web server to load the PHP module or handler. For example, if you are using IIS, you can use the IIS Manager to add a handler mapping for PHP files.
Restart your web server to apply the changes.
Create a test PHP file in your web server's document root directory. For example, you can create a file named info.php with this content:
Open your web browser and navigate to the URL of your test PHP file. For example, if your web server's document root directory is C:\inetpub\wwwroot, you can go to http://localhost/info.php.
You should see a page with information about your PHP installation, such as the version, the configuration, the extensions, etc.
Installing PHP 7.4 on macOS systems
If you downloaded Homebrew or XAMPP, you can use them to install PHP 7.4 on your macOS system. To do that, you need to follow these steps:
If you are using Homebrew, open a terminal and run these commands:
brew update brew install php@7.4 brew link --force --overwrite php@7.4
If you are using XAMPP, double-click on the downloaded file to launch the installer.
Follow the instructions and prompts on the installer wizard. You can choose the installation directory, the components, etc.
Finish the installation and close the installer.
To configure PHP 7.4 with your web server, such as Apache or Nginx, you need to follow these steps:
Edit the configuration file of your web server to load the PHP module or handler. For example, if you are using Apache, you can edit the httpd.conf file and add these lines:
LoadModule php7_module /usr/local/opt/php@7.4/lib/httpd/modules/libphp7.so AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
Restart your web server to apply the changes.
Create a test PHP file in your web server's document root directory. For example, you can create a file named info.php with this content:
Open your web browser and navigate to the URL of your test PHP file. For example, if your web server's document root directory is /Library/WebServer/Documents, you can go to http://localhost/info.php.
You should see a page with information about your PHP installation, such as the version, the configuration, the extensions, etc.
Using PHP 7.4
After installing PHP 7.4 on your system and configuring it with your web server, you can start using it for your web development projects. You can use the new features and improvements of PHP 7.4 to write clean and efficient code that takes advantage of the latest capabilities of the language.
Here are some tips and examples for using PHP 7.4:
Using typed properties
You can now declare the type of class properties, such as int, string, array, etc. This helps to enforce data integrity and avoid errors. For example, you can write a class like this:
class User public int $id; public string $name; public array $roles; public function __construct(int $id, string $name, array $roles) $this->id = $id; $this->name = $name; $this->roles