The survey was conducted to gain insights into the current trends and challenges faced by PHP developers in various aspects of development. The participants were asked about the version of PHP they were using, and it was found that only 51% were using the latest stable version (PHP 8), while 30% were still using PHP 5.x, which reached EOL status in 2018.
One of the reasons for this trend is the lack of awareness among PHP developers about the importance of using the latest version of PHP. Another reason could be the challenges faced while upgrading to the latest version. According to the survey, the top barriers to upgrading were testing and refactoring, with almost 30% of respondents finding these processes challenging.
Testing and refactoring are the processes involved in updating the codebase of an application to ensure it is compatible with the latest version of PHP. These processes are crucial in identifying and fixing any issues or bugs caused by the upgrade. Therefore, it is important to prioritize these processes to ensure the successful upgrade of the application.
Another challenge faced by PHP developers is the lack of support for EOL PHP versions from the open-source community. As the community moves towards the latest versions of PHP, EOL versions are left unsupported, making it difficult for developers who are still using them.
In addition to these challenges, it is also important to note that using EOL PHP versions could lead to security risks. With no security updates being released, vulnerabilities in the EOL versions could be exploited by attackers to gain access to the application.
To overcome these challenges, it is important for PHP developers to prioritize upgrading to the latest version of PHP. They should also ensure that testing and refactoring are considered an integral part of the upgrade process. By doing so, developers can stay up-to-date with the latest security features and capabilities offered by PHP, while also ensuring their applications run smoothly.
In conclusion, the findings of the 2021 PHP Landscape Survey highlight the need for PHP developers to focus on upgrading to the latest version of PHP. With almost 50% of PHP users using EOL PHP versions, it is important for developers to be aware of the risks associated with such versions. By identifying the barriers to upgrading and prioritizing testing and refactoring, developers can ensure a smooth transition to the latest version of PHP, while also enhancing the security and performance of their applications.