Best of stitcher.io — 2025

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   stitcher.io·47w

   The pipe operator in PHP 8.5

   PHP 8.5 introduces the pipe operator (|>) that allows chaining function calls in a more readable way. Instead of deeply nested function calls or temporary variables, developers can pipe values through a series of transformations. The operator works with first-class callables for single-argument functions or closures for multi-argument functions. While currently requiring closures for complex operations, future partial function application support could make it even more concise.

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   stitcher.io·31w

   Stitcher.io

   A refactoring case study that simplified a content scheduling system by eliminating a state transition and cron job. The original design used three states (PENDING, SCHEDULED, PUBLISHED) with automated transitions, requiring cron jobs, console commands, and complex logic. The refactor removed the SCHEDULED state and added a future-dated publicationDate field to PUBLISHED posts, using a SQL query to find available time slots. This eliminated moving parts like cron jobs and automatic state transitions, trading one type of complexity for another. The key insight: modeling software directly from human processes doesn't always yield the simplest technical solution.

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   Article

   stitcher.io·1y

   PHPverse 2025

   On June 17th, JetBrains is hosting PHPverse 2025, a free online event celebrating PHP's 30th anniversary. The event will feature talks and Q&A sessions with notable figures from the PHP community, exclusive gifts, and more. Registration is required.

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   stitcher.io·30w

   My wishlist for PHP in 2026

   A PHP developer outlines desired language features for 2026, prioritizing PHP Editions (opt-in breaking changes per namespace inspired by Rust), interface default methods for more flexible code organization, generics for type-safe collections, and structs for simpler data representation. The author acknowledges that backwards compatibility constraints slow feature adoption and create compromises, suggesting editions could enable experimental features and gradual migration. Previously desired features like scalar objects and unified function signatures are deemed unlikely or abandoned.

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