How to Install Zephir and Build Your First PHP Extension

Zephir Overview

Zephir is an open‑source high‑level language that generates native PHP extensions. It provides strong typing and memory‑safety while allowing developers to write extension code in a syntax similar to PHP.

Installation

Install re2c

sudo apt install re2c

re2c --version

Build and install the Zephir parser extension

git clone git://github.com/zephir-lang/php-zephir-parser.git
cd php-zephir-parser
/usr/local/php-7.4/bin/phpize
./configure --with-php-config=/usr/local/php-7.4/bin/php-config
make -j4
sudo make install

# Add to php.ini
[Zephir Parser]
extension=zephir_parser.so

php -m | grep zephir_parser

Install Zephir CLI

composer require phalcon/zephir

# Add Composer bin directory to PATH (adjust path as needed)
export PATH=$PATH:/home/www/build/tinywan-zephir/vendor/bin
source /etc/profile

Verify the CLI is available: <code>zephir help</code>

Creating a Zephir Extension

Check Zephir installation

zephir help

The command prints the version and a list of available sub‑commands.

Generate an extension skeleton

zephir init utils

This creates a directory utils with the following layout:

utils/
├── config.json
├── ext/          # generated C source for the extension
└── utils/        # place Zephir source files here

Add a Zephir class

Create utils/utils/greeting.zep:

namespace Utils;
class Greeting {
    public static function say() {
        echo "hello world!";
    }
    public static function tinywan() {
        echo "开源技术小栈！";
    }
}

Build the extension

cd utils
zephir build

On success the compiled shared object utils.so is placed in the ext/ directory.

Load the extension

# Add to php.ini (global load)
extension=utils.so

Alternatively, load for a single CLI invocation with php -d extension=utils.so script.php .

Test the extension

php -m | grep utils   # should list the extension

Create demo01.php:

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

echo Utils\Greeting::say(), "
";
echo Utils\Greeting::tinywan(), "
";

php demo01.php

hello world!
开源技术小栈！

If the output matches, the Zephir‑based PHP extension is correctly built and loaded.