Talk in English - US at PHP Tek 2026
View Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wZOEnlKHFq4HYY5SP2Z9dl2hzk5czxxBVaW2Y4BPo6Y/edit?usp=sharing
Short URL: https://joind.in/talk/79d7e
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PHP is more than just a programming language -- it's a conversation that has shaped the web for nearly three decades. Since PHP 5.3, every major feature and deprecation has passed through the Request for Comments (RFC) process, where ideas are proposed, debated, and voted on in public. These discussions capture not only what's changing in PHP, but _why_ the language evolves the way it does.
In this talk, we'll explore how reading RFCs can reveal both the future of PHP and the lessons of its past. We'll trace the language's journey from its early experimental days through the modern renaissance, and look ahead to what's coming in PHP Next and beyond. Attendees will learn how to interpret RFCs, anticipate upcoming changes, and use this knowledge to write cleaner, more intentional, and future-ready PHP.
Comments
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Solid overview of PHP's trajectory and relevance of the RFC process. Appreciated the community call outs & thought it could've leaned into the people even more than just the process & concepts.
FYI, slides link isn't viewable.
As a newer PHP developer, this presentation was very helpful in understanding how decisions and changes come about in the community. I am certainly about to loose some time going back and reading through old RFCs
Good talk, I think I might’ve heard it once before at another con but absolutely nothin’ wrong with hearing it again.
What would make this talk amazing is more of a call to action to people to get involved. Go MAKE an RFC. Go VOTE. There was no info that I saw on how to get into that, which is what I was low-key hoping to get out of it.
It’s okay though, Larry and Daniel have it covered for us 🤣