PHP 8.1 Alpha Released with New Features and Upcoming Release Timeline
PHP 8.1 has entered the Alpha stage, introducing enums, Fibers, new hashing algorithms, improved resource handling, macOS‑specific PHP‑FPM enhancements, and performance optimizations, with a detailed schedule for subsequent Alpha, Beta, and final GA releases later this year.
PHP 8.1 has entered the Alpha stage, marking the next major update after PHP 8.
Key changes include:
Implementation of Enums (see the RFC for details).
New fsync() function to ensure data and metadata are flushed to storage, plus a similar fdatasync() for data‑only sync.
Support for Fibers to improve asynchronous mechanisms, allowing functions to be interrupted without polluting the call stack and enabling transparent non‑blocking I/O.
Conversion of more PHP resources into objects.
PHP‑FPM can rename processes on macOS.
Hashing interface now supports MurmurHash V3 and xxHash.
PHP Sodium adds XChaCha20 stream‑encryption and Ristretto255 functions.
OPcache includes an inheritance cache.
Ongoing performance optimizations.
…
PHP 8.1 Alpha 2 is already released, with Alpha 3 planned for 8 July 2021. After the Alpha phase, a Feature Freeze will begin, followed by three Beta releases in mid‑August and multiple release candidates from September, targeting a final GA around the end of November.
Security updates have also been issued for the three older branches: PHP 7.4.21, PHP 8.0.8, and PHP 7.3.29.
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