PHP 8.5 Features for Faster Backend Development

PHP 8.5 just dropped, and it’s packed with features that will completely change the way you work as a developer! Whether you’re building Backend applications, creating APIs, or working on high-performance projects, these updates will make your life a lot easier.

In this post, we’ll go through the most important PHP 8.5 updates in simple terms, with examples and code snippets so you can see how each feature works. Let’s dive in!

URI Extension - Simplifying URL Handling​

If you’ve ever worked with parse_url(), you know it can be frustrating and not always reliable. PHP 8.5 introduces the URI Extension, now part of the core, so no external library is needed.

Here’s an example:

use Uri\Rfc3986\Uri;

$uri = new Uri('https://php.net/releases/8.5/en.php');
echo $uri->getHost(); // php.net

This feature makes handling URLs and links much safer and easier, whether you’re working on a Backend system or building REST APIs.

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Pipe Operator |> – Write Cleaner, Readable Code​

Nested functions can be a headache:

strtolower(str_replace(' ', '-', trim($title)));

PHP 8.5 fixes this with the Pipe Operator, making your code clean and readable:

$slug = $title
|> trim(...)
|> (fn($s) => str_replace(' ', '-', $s))
|> strtolower(...);

Now your code is more maintainable, easier to debug, and much clearer for your team.

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Clone With - Clone and Modify in One Step​

For those using readonly classes, cloning an object while modifying properties was tricky. PHP 8.5 introduces Clone With, making it super easy:

return clone($this, [
    'alpha' => $alpha,
]);

A small change, but a huge time saver, especially for OOP-heavy PHP projects.

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#[\NoDiscard] - Warning if Return Value is Ignored​

Sometimes you call a function that returns a value but forget to use it, causing bugs. PHP 8.5 fixes this with the new #[\NoDiscard] attribute:

#[\NoDiscard]
function version(): string {
    return "PHP 8.5";
}

version();
// Warning: The return value of function version() should
// either be used or intentionally ignored by casting it as (void)

This is a simple but powerful way to prevent mistakes in large PHP applications or Laravel projects.

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Closures in Constant Expressions - Smarter Attributes​

PHP 8.5 allows using Closures inside Attributes, which makes your code shorter and more powerful:

#[AccessControl(static fn($req, $post) =>
    $req->user === $post->getAuthor()
)]

This is a big step forward for attribute-based programming, especially for access control and security rules.

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Persistent cURL Share Handles - Boost API Performance​

If your app makes multiple API calls, PHP 8.5 improves performance by reusing cURL handles instead of opening new connections every time:

$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://api.example.com/data');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

You’ll notice faster requests and lower resource usage, which is essential for high-performance PHP applications.

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array_first() and array_last() - Access Array Items Easily​

No more complicated methods like array_key_last(). PHP 8.5 introduces simple functions to get the first and last array items:

$events = ['login', 'signup', 'purchase'];
$firstEvent = array_first($events);
$lastEvent = array_last($events);

echo $firstEvent; // login
echo $lastEvent;  // purchase

This makes your code cleaner and faster to write, especially for Laravel apps or API-driven projects.

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Other PHP 8.5 Improvements​

• Improved Developer Experience (DX): Writing and maintaining PHP code is easier than ever.
• High-performance updates: Core improvements make your apps faster and more efficient.
• Cleaner syntax: Pipe operator, clone with, and no-discard features help reduce bugs and improve readability.
• Better API handling: Persistent cURL handles and URI extension streamline REST API development.

PHP 8.5 isn’t just another update - it’s a major upgrade for anyone serious about PHP development, Backend programming, and Laravel projects.

If you’re a PHP developer, learning these new features will save you time, make your code cleaner, and improve your app’s performance.

Check out the official PHP release for all details:
PHP 8.5 Releases