PHP 8.5 is slated for release on November 20th, 2025, and it promises to bring several exciting new features to developers. The update is currently in the Release Candidate (RC) phase, with two more RCs scheduled before the General Availability (GA).
One of the notable introductions in PHP 8.5 is the Pipe operator, designed to streamline the process of chaining callables, making code more readable and efficient. Developers will also find native support for <code>array_first()</code> and <code>array_last()</code> functions, simplifying the task of accessing the first and last elements of arrays.
Another major addition is the URI extension for standards-compliant URL parsing, which will improve the handling of web addresses in applications. The release also introduces <code>Closure::getCurrent()</code>, facilitating work with recursive closures, and supports the use of closures in constant expressions, enhancing flexibility in coding.
Additionally, PHP 8.5 will by default provide backtraces for fatal errors, aiding in quicker debugging and error resolution. Alongside this, an INI diff option is included for configuration debugging, helping developers efficiently manage configuration changes.
These improvements reflect PHP’s ongoing commitment to evolving with the needs of its developer community, focusing on enhancing performance, usability, and debugging capabilities.

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PHP 8.5 is scheduled for release on November 20th, 2025, introducing several developer-focused enhancements. Key features include the Pipe operator for chaining callables, native array_first() and array_last() functions, a URI extension for standards-compliant URL parsing, Closure::getCurrent() for recursive closures, and support for closures in constant expressions. The release also adds default backtraces for fatal errors and an INI diff option to streamline debugging and configuration management.

Exploring the Features of PHP 8.5