# ext-php-rs
[](https://discord.gg/dphp)
Bindings and abstractions for the Zend API to build PHP extensions natively in
Rust.
## Example
Export a simple function `function hello_world(string $name): string` to PHP:
```rust
use ext_php_rs::prelude::*;
#[php_function]
pub fn hello_world(name: String) -> String {
format!("Hello, {}!", name)
}
// Required to register the extension with PHP.
#[php_module]
pub fn module(module: ModuleBuilder) -> ModuleBuilder {
module
}
```
Calling the function from PHP:
```php
var_dump(hello_world("David")); // string(13) "Hello, David!"
```
For more examples read the library
[guide](https://davidcole1340.github.io/ext-php-rs/guide).
## Features
- **Easy to use:** The built-in macros can abstract away the need to interact
with the Zend API, such as Rust-type function parameter abstracting away
interacting with Zend values.
- **Lightweight:** You don't have to use the built-in helper macros. It's
possible to write your own glue code around your own functions.
- **Extensible:** Implement `IntoZval` and `FromZval` for your own custom types,
allowing the type to be used as function parameters and return types.
## Goals
Our main goal is to **make extension development easier.**
- Writing extensions in C can be tedious, and with the Zend APIs limited
documentation can be intimidating.
- Rust's modern language features and feature-full standard library are big
improvements on C.
- Abstracting away the raw Zend APIs allows extensions to be developed faster
and with more confidence.
- Abstractions also allow us to support future (and potentially past) versions
of PHP without significant changes to extension code.
## Documentation
The library guide can be read
[here](https://davidcole1340.github.io/ext-php-rs/guide).
The project is documented in-line, so viewing the `cargo` documentation is the
best resource at the moment. This can be viewed at [docs.rs].
## Requirements
- PHP 8.0 or later
- No support is planned for lower versions.
- Linux or Darwin-based OS
- Rust - no idea which version
- Clang 3.9 or greater
See the following links for the dependency crate requirements:
- [`cc`](https://github.com/alexcrichton/cc-rs#compile-time-requirements)
- [`bindgen`](https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-bindgen/requirements.html)
## Usage
This project only works for PHP >= 8.0 (for now). Due to the fact that the PHP
extension system relies heavily on C macros (which cannot be exported to Rust
easily), structs have to be hard coded in.
Check out one of the example projects:
- [ext-skel](example/skel) - Testbed for testing the library. Check out previous
commits as well to see what else is possible.
- [anonaddy-sequoia](https://gitlab.com/willbrowning/anonaddy-sequoia) - Sequoia
encryption PHP extension.
- [opus-php](https://github.com/davidcole1340/opus-php/tree/rewrite_rs) -
Work-in-progress extension to use the Opus library in PHP.
## Contributions
Contributions are very much welcome. I am a novice Rust developer and any
suggestions are wanted and welcome. Feel free to file issues and PRs through
Github.
Contributions welcome include:
- Documentation expansion (examples in particular!)
- Safety reviews (especially if you have experience with Rust and the Zend API).
- Bug fixes and features.
- Feature requests.
Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted
for inclusion in the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be
dual licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions.
## Resources
- [PHP Internals Book](https://www.phpinternalsbook.com/)
## License
Licensed under either of
- Apache License, Version 2.0 ([LICENSE_APACHE] or
)
- MIT license ([LICENSE_MIT] or )
at your option.
[LICENSE_APACHE]: https://github.com/davidcole1340/ext-php-rs/blob/master/LICENSE_APACHE
[LICENSE_MIT]: https://github.com/davidcole1340/ext-php-rs/blob/master/LICENSE_MIT
[docs.rs]: https://docs.rs/ext-php-rs