Edmonds Commerce - PHP 8 Migration Services
Overview
Migrate your legacy PHP 7.x applications to PHP 8.x with confidence. We handle type safety improvements, union types, attributes, JIT compilation readiness, and all breaking changes.
What We Do
Professional PHP 8 migration services. We systematically upgrade your applications from PHP 7.4 (or earlier) to PHP 8.x, managing breaking changes whilst maximising the benefits of modern PHP.
Why Migrate to PHP 8?
Security Patches
PHP 7.4 reached end-of-life in November 2022. No security patches for 2+ years exposes applications to unpatched vulnerabilities.
Compliance Impact: Staying on EOL versions violates compliance standards (PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR).
Performance Improvements
PHP 8 introduces massive performance improvements through JIT compilation and engine optimisations.
Performance Gains:
- 30-50% improvements on CPU-bound workloads
- Engine optimisations benefit all applications
- Improved memory management
- Better opcache effectiveness
- JIT compilation for long-running processes
Modern Type System
PHP 8 dramatically improves the type system for safer, more maintainable code.
Type System Features:
- Union types (int|string)
- Named arguments for clarity
- Constructor property promotion (less boilerplate)
- Attributes replacing docblock annotations
- Match expressions for exhaustive pattern matching
- Improved IDE support and static analysis
Framework Compatibility
Modern frameworks require PHP 8.x minimum.
Framework Requirements:
- Laravel 10+ requires PHP 8.1 minimum
- Symfony 6+ requires PHP 8.1 minimum
- Access to latest features and security patches
- Community packages increasingly assume PHP 8+
Migration Scope
Compatibility Analysis
Comprehensive assessment before starting migration.
Analysis Includes:
- Current PHP version and extensions
- Dependency analysis (packages)
- Breaking change identification
- Risk assessment
- Effort estimation
- Timeline planning
Automated Refactoring
Use tools to automate common migration patterns.
Tools Used:
- Rector for automated refactoring (40+ framework recipes)
- PHP_CodeSniffer with PHPCompatibility rules
- PHPStan for type checking
- Manual review for remaining changes
Type Safety Implementation
Add type hints progressively to improve safety.
Type Safety:
- Function parameter types
- Return types
- Property types
- Strict types mode
- Union types (PHP 8.0+)
- Mixed type handling
Breaking Change Management
Handle all breaking changes systematically.
Common Changes:
- Stricter type enforcement
- Removed deprecated functions
- Behavioural changes in edge cases
- Constructor changes
- Function signature changes
- Extension changes
Comprehensive Testing
Validate migration correctness through testing.
Testing Levels:
- Unit tests (domain logic)
- Feature tests (workflows)
- Integration tests (external systems)
- UI testing (user interactions)
- Performance testing
- Security testing
Migration Process
1. Pre-Migration Assessment
Understand your codebase and plan the migration.
Assessment:
- PHP version and extensions
- Code quality baseline
- Test coverage analysis
- Dependency compatibility
- Risk evaluation
2. Dependency Analysis
Ensure all packages support PHP 8.
Process:
- Identify packages requiring updates
- Check compatibility matrix
- Plan update sequence
- Test dependency updates
- Handle alternative packages if needed
3. Code Refactoring
Systematically refactor code for PHP 8.
Refactoring Phases:
- Automated refactoring with Rector
- Manual review and fixes
- Type hint implementation
- Modernisation of code style
- Leverage new features
4. Test Coverage Enhancement
Ensure comprehensive testing before migration.
Testing Work:
- Unit test execution
- Characterisation tests for untested code
- Test coverage analysis
- Performance baseline
- Regression test development
5. Staging Validation
Full testing in production-like environment.
Validation:
- Environment parity
- Full test suite
- Manual workflows
- Performance validation
- Security checks
6. Production Deployment
Zero-downtime deployment to production.
Deployment:
- Blue-green deployment
- Health checks
- Rollback capability
- Monitoring
- Performance tracking
7. Post-Migration Support
Ongoing support and optimisation.
Support:
- Issue troubleshooting
- Performance tuning
- Documentation updates
- Team training
Breaking Changes Overview
Type Enforcement
Stricter type handling prevents silent conversions.
Examples:
- String to number conversion now throws
- Invalid array access now throws
- Undefined variables now throw
Deprecated Functions
Functions removed in PHP 8 require replacement.
Migration:
- array_key_exists() → isset()
- Automatic converter tools available
- Straightforward replacement
Behavioural Changes
Some functions behave differently in edge cases.
Handling:
- Identify via testing
- Adapt code logic
- Validate with tests
Performance Optimisation
After migration, optimise for PHP 8 features.
Optimisation Opportunities:
- JIT compilation configuration
- Preloading for long-running processes
- Type hint optimization
- Memory usage improvements
- Cache optimization
Technology Stack
- PHP 8.0+ target version (8.1+ recommended)
- Modern extensions compatible
- Laravel 10+ or Symfony 6+ (post-migration)
- PHPUnit/Pest for testing
- Rector for automated refactoring
- Docker for environment consistency
Timeline Estimation
Small Projects (5k-10k LOC): 2-4 weeks
Medium Projects (10k-50k LOC): 4-8 weeks
Large Projects (50k+ LOC): 8-16 weeks
Common Migration Challenges
Dependency Compatibility: Packages not yet updated for PHP 8.
Solution: Wait for updates or find alternatives.
Type Hint Compatibility: Existing code lacks type hints.
Solution: Add type hints progressively during migration.
Test Coverage Gaps: Untested code makes migration risky.
Solution: Add characterisation tests before migration.
Performance Regression: Unforeseen performance issues.
Solution: Baseline testing, gradual deployment, monitoring.
Extension Compatibility: Old extensions removed in PHP 8.
Solution: Use alternative extensions or rewrite functionality.
Migration ROI
Security: Eliminate EOL version vulnerabilities.
Performance: 10-30% faster applications on average.
Maintainability: Modern type system catches bugs earlier.
Developer Productivity: Faster development with modern features.
Framework Access: Unlock modern framework versions.
Target Audiences
Legacy System Owners: Upgrade applications stuck on PHP 7.
Compliance-Bound Teams: Meet security compliance requirements.
Performance-Conscious Teams: Leverage PHP 8 performance improvements.
Growth-Stage Companies: Modernise as you scale.
Related Services
Framework Upgrade: Upgrade to Laravel 10+ or Symfony 6+ post-migration.
Performance Optimisation: Specialised PHP 8 performance tuning.
Testing: Comprehensive testing strategies for complex applications.
Team Augmentation: Senior developers to guide migration.
Contact
Based in the UK, serving global clients. Discuss your PHP upgrade timeline, migration concerns, or current PHP version.