---
title: "[RFC] Pure-code source files via the .phpc extension"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/rfc-pure-code-source-files-via-the-phpc-extension-fwdueyqwy
source_url: https://externals.io/message/131347
type: article
source: "externals.io"
published: 2026-06-17T12:59:25.798Z
updated: 2026-06-17T12:59:47.593Z
tags: ["php", "language-design"]
reading_time: 51
upvotes: 0
comments: 0
language: en
---

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

**[externals.io](https://daily.dev/sources/externals)** · 51 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

A PHP internals RFC proposes a new `.phpc` file extension that allows PHP files to be parsed as pure code without requiring the `<?php` opening tag. The lexer would enter scripting mode on the first byte, silently skipping UTF-8 BOMs and CLI shebangs. The change is strictly additive — existing `.php` files are unaffected. The reference implementation is ~50 lines of C in the Zend lexer with 15 new tests and zero regressions across 9836 existing tests. Community feedback is mixed: some see it as unnecessary complexity since `<?php` is only 5 characters, while the author argues PHP is the only modern mainstream language requiring such an opener for pure-code files. Open issues include the final extension name (.phpc/.phpp/.pcode/.phpx), backward compatibility concerns, and security implications for misconfigured web servers.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://externals.io/message/131347>

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---

Tags: [#php](https://daily.dev/tags/php), [#language-design](https://daily.dev/tags/language-design)

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