PHP 8.5.0 RC1 released

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The PHP Group has announced the release of the first release candidate for PHP 8.5.0, a widely-used general-purpose scripting language favored for web development. This release focuses on resolving numerous critical issues across the framework's various components, including core modules and extensions like Bzip2, Curl, Date, Exif, and others.

Key improvements in this release include enhanced error handling, the deprecation of certain magic methods, and fixes for assertion failures, memory leaks, and bugs that could lead to crashes or infinite loops. Notable updates in the core module include fixes for issues related to object property checks and the deprecation of the __sleep() and __wakeup() magic methods in favor of the __unserialize() method.

In the Bzip2 module, a bug affecting stream mode validation has been resolved, while the Curl module has improved functionality regarding CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS. The Date module's format handling has been refined, and the Exif module has received hardening updates for HEIF parsing.

Other enhancements include a fix in PHP's FastCGI Process Manager (FPM) regarding the evaluation timing of post_max_size, updates to the mbstring module's Unicode tables, and improvements in the Opcache module addressing assertion failures and JIT issues. Additionally, several SAPI-related bugs have been fixed, enhancing PHP's HTTP response handling.

The URI module has introduced a new UriError exception and improved internal API handling. Furthermore, significant fixes for Windows-specific bugs have been made, ensuring smooth operation on that platform. The next release candidate for PHP 8.5.0 is scheduled for October 9, 2025.

As PHP continues to evolve, the enhancements in this release candidate reflect the community's commitment to improving performance, usability, and compatibility across various systems. Developers can look forward to further updates that will help streamline their applications and enhance overall functionality.

In summary, the first release candidate of PHP 8.5.0 represents a significant step forward, addressing critical issues and implementing important changes that will benefit developers and users alike. The PHP community is encouraged to test this release and provide feedback as development progresses toward the final release

PHP 8.5.0 RC1 released

The first release candidate for PHP 8.5.0, a general-purpose scripting language suited for web development, has been released for testing. The new version addresses numerous critical issues across various components of the framework, including the core, Bzip2, Curl, Date, Exif, FPM, Iconv, Opcache, OpenSSL, Mbstring, Reflection, SAPI, Standard, URI, and Windows modules. Key enhancements include improved error handling, deprecated magic methods, and fixes for assertion failures, memory leaks, and other bugs that may have caused crashes or infinite loops. 

PHP 8.5.0 RC1 released @ Linux Compatible