> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.upsun.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# PHP 8.5 is here!

export const PostMeta = ({data = {}}) => {
  const {author, date, image} = data;
  const authors = Array.isArray(author) ? author : author ? [author] : [];
  const resolveAuthor = slug => {
    const entry = AUTHOR_MAP[slug] || ({});
    const name = entry.name || slug;
    const github = entry.github || null;
    const linkedin = entry.linkedin || null;
    const url = github ? `https://github.com/${github}` : linkedin || null;
    const avatarUrl = github ? `https://github.com/${github}.png?size=64` : null;
    return {
      name,
      url,
      avatarUrl
    };
  };
  const formattedDate = date ? new Date(date).toLocaleDateString('en-US', {
    year: 'numeric',
    month: 'long',
    day: 'numeric'
  }) : null;
  if (!image && authors.length === 0 && !formattedDate) return null;
  const AUTHOR_MAP = {
    "aaron-collier": {
      "name": "Aaron Collier"
    },
    "aaron-dudenhofer": {
      "name": "Aaron Dudenhofer"
    },
    "aaron-porter": {
      "name": "Aaron Porter"
    },
    "adriaan-odendaal": {
      "name": "Adriaan Odendaal"
    },
    "ajmal": {
      "name": "Ajmal Siddiqui"
    },
    "akalipetis": {
      "name": "Antonis Kalipetis"
    },
    "alexander-varwijk": {
      "name": "Alexander Varwijk"
    },
    "alicia-bevilacqua": {
      "name": "Alicia Bevilacqua"
    },
    "amelie-deguerry": {
      "name": "Amelie Deguerry"
    },
    "anacidre": {
      "name": "Ana Cidre",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-cidre"
    },
    "andoni": {
      "name": "Andoni Auzmendi"
    },
    "andrei-taranu": {
      "name": "Andrei (Alex) Taranu",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrei-alex-taranu/"
    },
    "andrew-baxter": {
      "name": "Andrew Baxter"
    },
    "andrew-melck": {
      "name": "Andrew Melck"
    },
    "antoine-crochet-damais": {
      "name": "Antoine Crochet Damais"
    },
    "augustin-delaporte": {
      "name": "Augustin Delaporte",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustindelaporte/"
    },
    "branislav-bujisic": {
      "name": "Branislav Bujisic"
    },
    "carl-smith": {
      "name": "Carl Smith"
    },
    "caroline-leroy": {
      "name": "Caroline Leroy"
    },
    "cati-mayer": {
      "name": "Cati Mayer"
    },
    "catplat": {
      "name": "C Trinkwon"
    },
    "ceelolulu": {
      "name": "Celeste van der Watt"
    },
    "chadwcarlson": {
      "name": "Chad Carlson",
      "github": "chadwcarlson",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadwcarlson"
    },
    "chris-ward": {
      "name": "Chris Ward"
    },
    "chris-yates": {
      "name": "Chris Yates"
    },
    "christian-sieber": {
      "name": "Christian Sieber"
    },
    "christopher-lockheardt": {
      "name": "Christopher Lockheardt"
    },
    "christopher-skene": {
      "name": "Christopher Skene"
    },
    "chuck-morgan": {
      "name": "Chuck Morgan"
    },
    "corey-dockendorf": {
      "name": "Corey Dockendorf"
    },
    "crell": {
      "name": "Crell"
    },
    "damz": {
      "name": "Damz"
    },
    "dan-morrison": {
      "name": "Dan Morrison"
    },
    "davidbonachera": {
      "name": "David Bonachera",
      "github": "davidbonachera",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbonachera"
    },
    "dereliahmet1": {
      "name": "Ahmet Faruk Dereli"
    },
    "devicezero": {
      "name": "Jonas Kröger",
      "github": "devicezero",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonaskroeger/"
    },
    "doug-goldberg": {
      "name": "Doug Goldberg"
    },
    "duncan-naves": {
      "name": "Duncan Naves",
      "github": "duncannaves",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-naves-a94423aa"
    },
    "erika-bustamante": {
      "name": "Erika Bustamante"
    },
    "fabpot": {
      "name": "Fabien Potencier"
    },
    "flovntp": {
      "name": "Florent Huck",
      "github": "flovntp",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/florenthuck"
    },
    "fred-plais": {
      "name": "Fred Plais"
    },
    "gauthier-garnier": {
      "name": "Gauthier Garnier"
    },
    "gilzow": {
      "name": "Paul Gilzow"
    },
    "gmoigneu": {
      "name": "Guillaume Moigneu",
      "github": "gmoigneu",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaumemoigneu/"
    },
    "gregqualls": {
      "name": "Greg Qualls"
    },
    "guguss": {
      "name": "Augustin Delaporte"
    },
    "haylee-millar": {
      "name": "Haylee Millar"
    },
    "ivana-kotur": {
      "name": "Ivana Kotur"
    },
    "jackrabbithanna": {
      "name": "Mark Hanna"
    },
    "jared-wright": {
      "name": "Jared Wright",
      "github": "jww-sh",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredwaynewright"
    },
    "jessica-orozco": {
      "name": "Jessica Orozco"
    },
    "joey-stanford": {
      "name": "Joey Stanford"
    },
    "john-grubb": {
      "name": "John Grubb"
    },
    "jonas-kruger": {
      "name": "Jonas Kruger"
    },
    "kathryn-frazer": {
      "name": "Kathryn Frazer"
    },
    "kemiojo": {
      "name": "Kemi Elizabeth Ojogbede"
    },
    "kieronsambrook-smith": {
      "name": "Kieronsambrook Smith"
    },
    "laurent-arnoud": {
      "name": "Laurent Arnoud"
    },
    "letoya-boyne": {
      "name": "Letoya Boyne"
    },
    "lolautruche": {
      "name": "Jérôme Vieilledent"
    },
    "lyly-lepinay": {
      "name": "Lyly Lepinay"
    },
    "manauwar-alam": {
      "name": "Manauwar Alam"
    },
    "marc-antoine-porri": {
      "name": "Marc Antoine Porri"
    },
    "maria-antinkaapo": {
      "name": "Maria Antinkaapo"
    },
    "maria-de-anton": {
      "name": "Maria De Anton"
    },
    "mark-dorison": {
      "name": "Mark Dorison"
    },
    "markus-hausammann": {
      "name": "Markus Hausammann"
    },
    "mary-thomas": {
      "name": "Mary Thomas"
    },
    "mathias-bolt-lesniak": {
      "name": "Mathias Bolt Lesniak"
    },
    "mathieu-strauch": {
      "name": "Mathieu Strauch"
    },
    "matthias-van-woensel": {
      "name": "Matthias Van Woensel",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthias-van-woensel-267a069"
    },
    "michael-sharp": {
      "name": "Michael Sharp"
    },
    "mupsi": {
      "name": "Marine Gandy"
    },
    "natalie-harper": {
      "name": "Natalie Harper"
    },
    "ngommenginger": {
      "name": "Nicolas Gommenginger",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-gommenginger"
    },
    "nicholas-bennison": {
      "name": "Nicholas Bennison"
    },
    "nicholas-vahalik": {
      "name": "Nicholas Vahalik"
    },
    "nick-hardiman": {
      "name": "Nick Hardiman"
    },
    "nickanderegg": {
      "name": "Nickanderegg"
    },
    "nicolas-grekas": {
      "name": "Nicolas Grekas",
      "github": "nicolas-grekas",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasgrekas/"
    },
    "niti-malwade": {
      "name": "Niti Malwade"
    },
    "opensocialteam": {
      "name": "Opensocialteam"
    },
    "ori-pekelman": {
      "name": "Ori Pekelman"
    },
    "otavio-santana": {
      "name": "Otavio Santana"
    },
    "palwandi": {
      "name": "Pawan Alwandi",
      "github": "pawpy",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawanalwandi"
    },
    "patrick-boest": {
      "name": "Patrick Boest"
    },
    "patrick-dawkins": {
      "name": "Patrick Dawkins",
      "github": "pjcdawkins",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdawkins"
    },
    "patrick-klima": {
      "name": "Patrick Klima"
    },
    "pjcdawkins": {
      "name": "Pjcdawkins"
    },
    "prineet-kaurbhurji": {
      "name": "Prineet Kaurbhurji"
    },
    "quentin-sinig": {
      "name": "Quentin Sinig"
    },
    "ralt": {
      "name": "Florian Margaine",
      "github": "ralt",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/florian-margaine-43971136"
    },
    "ramanathanramakrishnamurthy": {
      "name": "Ramanathanramakrishnamurthy"
    },
    "remi-lejeune": {
      "name": "Rémi Lejeune"
    },
    "ribel": {
      "name": "Taras Kruts"
    },
    "robert-douglass": {
      "name": "Robert Douglass"
    },
    "rudy-weber": {
      "name": "Rudy Weber"
    },
    "ryan-hicks": {
      "name": "Ryan Hicks"
    },
    "sabri-helal": {
      "name": "Sabri Helal"
    },
    "savannah-bergeron": {
      "name": "Savannah Bergeron"
    },
    "shannon-vettes": {
      "name": "Shannon Vettes"
    },
    "shawn-ogasawara": {
      "name": "Shawn Ogasawara",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-ogasawara-83a9a0/"
    },
    "shawna-spoor": {
      "name": "Shawna Spoor"
    },
    "shedrack-akintayo": {
      "name": "Shedrack Akintayo"
    },
    "simon-ruggier": {
      "name": "Simon Ruggier"
    },
    "sophie-van-der-kindere": {
      "name": "Sophie Van Der Kindere"
    },
    "stefanos-thampis": {
      "name": "Stefanos Thampis"
    },
    "stephen-weinberg": {
      "name": "Stephen Weinberg"
    },
    "sukhman-virk": {
      "name": "Sukhman Virk"
    },
    "sumaira-nazir": {
      "name": "Sumaira Nazir"
    },
    "sumer": {
      "name": "Sümer Cip"
    },
    "syed-raza": {
      "name": "Syed Raza"
    },
    "tamara-bacchia": {
      "name": "Tamara Bacchia"
    },
    "tara-arnold": {
      "name": "Tara Arnold"
    },
    "theosakamg": {
      "name": "Mickael Gaillard",
      "github": "theosakamg"
    },
    "thomasdiluccio": {
      "name": "Thomas di Luccio"
    },
    "tim-anderson": {
      "name": "Tim Anderson"
    },
    "tom-helmer-hansen": {
      "name": "Tom Helmer Hansen"
    },
    "tylermills": {
      "name": "Tyler Mills"
    },
    "upsun": {
      "name": "Upsun"
    },
    "veronika-tolkachova": {
      "name": "Veronika Tolkachova",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronika-tolkachova-169167a2"
    },
    "vince-parker": {
      "name": "Vince Parker"
    },
    "vinnie-russo": {
      "name": "Vincenzo Russo"
    },
    "vrobert78": {
      "name": "Vincent Robert",
      "github": "vrobert78",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-robert-498a883"
    },
    "yuriy-babenko": {
      "name": "Yuriy Babenko"
    },
    "yuriy-gerasimov": {
      "name": "Yuriy Gerasimov"
    }
  };
  return <div className="post-meta">
      {(authors.length > 0 || formattedDate) && <div className="post-meta-info">
          {authors.length > 0 && <div className="post-meta-authors">
              {authors.map(slug => {
    const {name, url, avatarUrl} = resolveAuthor(slug);
    const inner = <>
                    {avatarUrl && <img src={avatarUrl} alt={name} className="post-meta-avatar" />}
                    <span className="post-meta-author-name">{name}</span>
                  </>;
    return url ? <a key={slug} href={url} target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" className="post-meta-author">
                    {inner}
                  </a> : <span key={slug} className="post-meta-author">{inner}</span>;
  })}
            </div>}
          {authors.length > 0 && formattedDate && <span className="post-meta-separator" aria-hidden="true">·</span>}
          {formattedDate && <span className="post-meta-date">{formattedDate}</span>}
        </div>}
      {image && <img src={image} alt="" className="post-meta-image" aria-hidden="true" />}
    </div>;
};

<PostMeta data={{ author: ["flovntp"], date: "2025-11-20T00:00:00+00:00", image: "/images/posts/releases/php-85-release/elephant-84.webp" }} />

What if the next PHP revolution made no noise but completely transformed your developer daily life?
Forget temporary variables with the pipe operator, clone objects with astonishing simplicity, and finally enjoy full backtraces on fatal errors. And don't forget a mandatory OPcache for guaranteed performance!

PHP 8.5 was [officially released](https://www.php.net/archive/2025.php) on November 20th, and with it comes a number of improvements and new features that you can - as of today - begin working with on your Upsun Flex and Fixed projects.

Here's how these "under-the-hood" improvements make your code safer, faster, and more maintainable.

## How to upgrade

You can explore all that PHP 8.5 has to offer on your projects today.

### Install the new version

First, follow the official instructions for installing PHP 8.5 on your computer:

* [Unix systems instructions](https://www.php.net/manual/install.unix.php)
* [macOS instructions](https://www.php.net/manual/install.macosx.php)
* [Windows binaries](https://windows.php.net/download/)

Then you can check that it's installed and accessible with:

```bash {filename="Terminal"} theme={null}
php -r 'echo PHP_VERSION;'
```

### Create a new environment

Create a branch dedicated to the latest version:

```bash {filename="Terminal"} theme={null}
upsun branch php-85-testing
```

### Upgrade your dependencies

Run the command:

```bash {filename="Terminal"} theme={null}
composer upgrade
```

### Upgrade your configuration

To upgrade your PHP version, you need to update the `type` YAML key in your `.upsun/config.yaml` file:

```yaml {filename=".upsun/config.yaml"} theme={null}
applications:
  your_application:
    type: "php:8.5"
```

And test the changes on the new environment with an `upsun push`.
Once the environment is live, you can merge the upgrades now (`upsun merge`), then come back to visit many of the performance improvements and new features packaged in the release below.
You can test the changes on the new environment with an `upsun push`.
You can as always find more information about available extensions and PHP configuration in the [Upsun](https://docs.upsun.com) and [Upsun Fixed](https://fixed.docs.platform.sh) documentation.

<Note>
  **A note on production upgrades:**

  There are some noted [incompatibilities](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.incompatible.php) that come with this new minor version release that you should keep in mind when upgrading production environments.
  Consult those warnings and the links below for more details.
</Note>

## What's changed in PHP 8.5?

With this release comes a number of resources to better understand what's changed, and how those changes impact your applications:

* A comprehensive list of all changes can be found in [the ChangeLog](https://www.php.net/ChangeLog-8.php#8.4.1)
* A side-by-side comparison on the [release homepage](https://www.php.net/releases/8.5/en.php)
* [Migrating from PHP 8.4.x to PHP 8.5.x instructions](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.php), which further breaks down the changes into:
  * [New features](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.new-features.php)
  * [New classes and interfaces](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.new-classes.php)
  * [New functions](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.new-functions.php)
  * [New global constants](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.constants.php)
  * [Backward incompatible changes](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.incompatible.php)
  * [Deprecated features](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.deprecated.php)
  * [Other Changes](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.other-changes.php)
  * [Windows Support](https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration85.windows-support.php)

### Pipe operator `|>`

The pipe operator changes how you chain operations, making code more linear and readable.

```php theme={null}
$result = "Hello Upsun World"
    |> htmlentities(...)
    |> str_split(...)
    |> fn($x) => array_map(strtoupper(...), $x)
    |> fn($x) => array_filter($x, fn($v) => $v !== 'O');
print_r($result);
```

**Main benefit**:

* Makes transformations read top-to-bottom, left-to-right
* Avoids nested parentheses:

```php theme={null}
array_filter(
    array_map(
        strtoupper(
            str_split(
                htmlentities("Hello Upsun World")
            )
        )
    ), fn($v) => $v !== 'O'
);
```

### Integrated URI extension: goodbye `parse_url()`

Thanks to the new [URI extension](https://thephp.foundation/blog/2025/10/10/php-85-uri-extension/),
manage URLs easily and reliably without relying on external packages.

```php theme={null}
$uri = new Uri("https://devcenter.upsun.com/posts/2025/php-85-release?fab=pot#fragment");
echo $uri->getScheme(); // https
echo $uri->getHost();   // devcenter.upsun.com
echo $uri->getQuery();  // fab=pot
```

### Full backtraces on fatal errors

Debug critical errors more effectively with complete stack traces.

```php theme={null}
function causeError() {
    $arr = [];
    echo $arr['undefined_key']; // Notice leads to full backtrace
}
causeError();
```

### Utility functions: `array_first()` and `array_last()`

Retrieve the first or last element of an array easily.

```php theme={null}
$items = ['upsun flex', 'random hosting', 'upsun fixed'];
echo array_first($items); // upsun flex
echo array_last($items);  // upsun fixed
```

### Debug command: `php --ini=diff`

Quickly compare differences in PHP configurations.

```bash theme={null}
php --ini=diff
# Shows changes between current and default php.ini
```

## Tips for a smooth migration

* Check dependency compatibility (extensions, modules, frameworks).
* Enable OPCache.
* Monitor silent changes and default behaviors.
* Set up automated tests and simulate production flows.
* Educate the team on new syntax (pipe) and new debugging tools.

### Deprecations

You can find a list of all deprecations for PHP 8.4 on the [php.net wiki](https://windows.php.net/download/).

## What's next?

PHP 8.5 is a **silent revolution** for anyone building modern, robust platforms, and is already **Available now on Upsun**.

Have you tried PHP 8.5 yet? What are your findings with modules or plugins?

Join us in the [Discord](https://discord.gg/upsun) and let us know how it goes.