---
title: "[Pre-RFC] Pure-code source files via .phpc extension"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/pre-rfc-pure-code-source-files-via-phpc-extension-l1ucjhvrm
source_url: https://externals.io/message/131134
type: article
source: "externals.io"
published: 2026-06-04T13:58:33.687Z
updated: 2026-06-04T13:58:54.756Z
tags: ["php"]
reading_time: 2
upvotes: 0
comments: 0
language: en
---

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# [Pre-RFC] Pure-code source files via .phpc extension

**[externals.io](https://daily.dev/sources/externals)** · 2 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

A pre-RFC discussion on the PHP internals mailing list proposes introducing a `.phpc` file extension for 'pure-code' PHP source files that would not require the `<?php` opening tag. The thread debates implementation approaches: extension-based dispatch, a boolean argument to the engine's parse entrypoint, an environment variable like `PHP_INPUT_PURE`, or new `include_pure`/`require_pure` keywords. Key concerns raised include backward compatibility breaks, SAPI complexity, and whether the benefit of omitting `<?php` justifies the added complexity. One participant suggests auto-detecting the absence of `<?php` tags and restarting the parse in code mode as a potential middle ground.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://externals.io/message/131134>

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