# ext-php-rs
[](https://lib.rs/ext-php-rs)
[](https://docs.rs/ext-php-rs)
[](https://davidcole1340.github.io/ext-php-rs)
[](https://discord.gg/dphp)
Bindings and abstractions for the Zend API to build PHP extensions natively in
Rust.
- Documentation: <https://docs.rs/ext-php-rs>
- Guide: <https://davidcole1340.github.io/ext-php-rs>
## Example
Export a simple function `function hello_world(string $name): string` to PHP:
```rust
#![cfg_attr(windows, feature(abi_vectorcall))]
use ext_php_rs::prelude::*;
/// Gives you a nice greeting!
///
/// @param string $name Your name.
///
/// @return string Nice greeting!
#[php_function]
pub fn hello_world(name: String) -> String {
format!("Hello, {}!", name)
}
// Required to register the extension with PHP.
#[php_module]
pub fn module(module: ModuleBuilder) -> ModuleBuilder {
module
}
```
Use [`cargo-php`] to build IDE stubs and install the extension:
```text
$ cargo install cargo-php
Installing cargo-php v0.1.0
$ cargo php stubs --stdout
Compiling example-ext v0.1.0
Finished dev [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 3.57s
<?php
// Stubs for example-ext
/**
* Gives you a nice greeting!
*
* @param string $name Your name.
*
* @return string Nice greeting!
*/
function hello_world(string $name): string {}
$ cargo php install --release
Compiling example-ext v0.1.0
Finished release [optimized] target(s) in 1.68s
Are you sure you want to install the extension `example-ext`? yes
$ php -m
[PHP Modules]
// ...
example-ext
// ...
```
Calling the function from PHP:
```php
var_dump(hello_world("David")); // string(13) "Hello, David!"
```
For more examples read the library
[guide](https://davidcole1340.github.io/ext-php-rs).
[`cargo-php`]: https://crates.io/crates/cargo-php
## Features
- **Easy to use:** The built-in macros can abstract away the need to interact
with the Zend API, such as Rust-type function parameter abstracting away
interacting with Zend values.
- **Lightweight:** You don't have to use the built-in helper macros. It's
possible to write your own glue code around your own functions.
- **Extensible:** Implement `IntoZval` and `FromZval` for your own custom types,
allowing the type to be used as function parameters and return types.
## Goals
Our main goal is to **make extension development easier.**
- Writing extensions in C can be tedious, and with the Zend APIs limited
documentation can be intimidating.
- Rust's modern language features and feature-full standard library are big
improvements on C.
- Abstracting away the raw Zend APIs allows extensions to be developed faster
and with more confidence.
- Abstractions also allow us to support future (and potentially past) versions
of PHP without significant changes to extension code.
## Documentation
The library guide can be read
[here](https://davidcole1340.github.io/ext-php-rs).
The project is documented in-line, so viewing the `cargo` documentation is the
best resource at the moment. This can be viewed at [docs.rs].
## Requirements
- Linux, macOS or Windows-based operating system.
- PHP 8.0 or later.
- No support is planned for earlier versions of PHP.
- Rust.
- Currently, we maintain no guarantee of a MSRV, however lib.rs suggests Rust
1.57 at the time of writing.
- Clang 5.0 or later.
### Windows Requirements
- Extensions can only be compiled for PHP installations sourced from
<https://windows.php.net>. Support is planned for other installations
eventually.
- Rust nightly is required for Windows. This is due to the [vectorcall] calling
convention being used by some PHP functions on Windows, which is only
available as a nightly unstable feature in Rust.
- It is suggested to use the `rust-lld` linker to link your extension. The MSVC
linker (`link.exe`) is supported however you may run into issues if the linker
version is not supported by your PHP installation. You can use the `rust-lld`
linker by creating a `.cargo\config.toml` file with the following content:
```toml
# Replace target triple if you have a different architecture than x86_64
[target.x86_64-pc-windows-msvc]
linker = "rust-lld"
```
- The `cc` crate requires `cl.exe` to be present on your system. This is usually
bundled with Microsoft Visual Studio.
- `cargo-php`'s stub generation feature does not work on Windows. Rewriting this
functionality to be cross-platform is on the roadmap.
[vectorcall]: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/cpp/vectorcall?view=msvc-170
## Cargo Features
All features are disabled by default.
- `closure` - Enables the ability to return Rust closures to PHP. Creates a new
class type, `RustClosure`.
- `anyhow` - Implements `Into<PhpException>` for `anyhow::Error`, allowing you
to return anyhow results from PHP functions. Supports anyhow v1.x.
## Usage
Check out one of the example projects:
- [anonaddy-sequoia](https://gitlab.com/willbrowning/anonaddy-sequoia) - Sequoia
encryption PHP extension.
- [opus-php](https://github.com/davidcole1340/opus-php) - Audio encoder for the
Opus codec in PHP.
- [tomlrs-php](https://github.com/jphenow/tomlrs-php) - TOML data format parser.
- [php-scrypt](https://github.com/appwrite/php-scrypt) - PHP wrapper for the
scrypt password hashing algorithm.
## Contributions
Contributions are very much welcome. I am a novice Rust developer and any
suggestions are wanted and welcome. Feel free to file issues and PRs through
Github.
Contributions welcome include:
- Documentation expansion (examples in particular!)
- Safety reviews (especially if you have experience with Rust and the Zend API).
- Bug fixes and features.
- Feature requests.
Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted
for inclusion in the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be
dual licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions.
## Resources
- [PHP Internals Book](https://www.phpinternalsbook.com/)
## License
Licensed under either of
- Apache License, Version 2.0 ([LICENSE_APACHE] or
<http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0>)
- MIT license ([LICENSE_MIT] or <http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>)
at your option.
[LICENSE_APACHE]: https://github.com/davidcole1340/ext-php-rs/blob/master/LICENSE_APACHE
[LICENSE_MIT]: https://github.com/davidcole1340/ext-php-rs/blob/master/LICENSE_MIT
[docs.rs]: https://docs.rs/ext-php-rs