internals
What happens when PHP runs your code
A request walks from the SAPI to the Zend VM — lexing, compilation to opcodes, the OPcache lookup that skips both, and execution.
Understanding PHP below the abstraction.
A technical publication about PHP internals, performance, architecture, and production behavior — measurements over assumptions, trade-offs over rules.
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PHP-FPM process management in production
pm static, dynamic and ondemand, the memory ceiling nothing enforces, and how to size a pool from measurements rather than guesses.
architecture
What compiled DI containers actually buy you
Container compilation moves reflection from request time to build time. What that removes, what it costs, and when it matters.
internals
PHP arrays are not arrays
One structure serves as list, dictionary and set. Packed and hashed layouts, what each costs in memory, and when a conversion happens.
performance
OPcache, the JIT, and where time actually goes
OPcache removes compilation, not execution. The JIT reaches arithmetic-heavy code and little else. Where the remaining time lives.
performance
Benchmarking PHP without lying to yourself
Microbenchmarks measure exactly what you tell them to, which is rarely what you meant. Method, noise, and the numbers worth reporting.