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title: [RFC] Pure-code source files via the .phpc extension
description: A formal PHP RFC proposes a new .phpc file extension that allows PHP files to be parsed as pure code without requiring the opening &lt;?php tag. The lexer would...
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# [RFC] Pure-code source files via the .phpc extension

**[externals.io](https://daily.dev/sources/externals)** · 45 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

A formal PHP RFC proposes a new .phpc file extension that allows PHP files to be parsed as pure code without requiring the opening <?php tag. The lexer would enter ST_IN_SCRIPTING on the first byte, with UTF-8 BOM and CLI shebangs silently skipped. The change is strictly additive — existing .php files are unaffected. The implementation is ~50 lines of C in the Zend lexer with 15 new tests and zero regressions. Community discussion is mixed: some see it as unnecessary complexity since <?php is only 5 characters, while the author argues most modern PHP files are pure code where the opener carries no semantic value. Open issues include the final extension name (.phpc/.phpp/.pcode/.phpx), backward compatibility, and security concerns around misconfigured web servers exposing source files.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://externals.io/message/131339>

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