Can you compile PHP to a native binary?

Yes. elephc compiles a supported static subset of PHP directly to native assembly. It produces standalone executables for macOS ARM64, Linux ARM64, and Linux x86_64, plus native libraries for those hosts and iOS ARM64 targets. The compiled path uses no interpreter, VM, Zend Engine, or opcode fallback.

How is elephc different from PHP packagers or other PHP AOT systems?

elephc is not a PHP packager and does not bundle Zend/PHP. It is a from-scratch compiler: parse, type-check, lower to native assembly, assemble, link, and include a small runtime in the output. If elephc compiles it, it runs as native code.

Can elephc work with PHP frameworks?

Not a drop-in replacement for an entire dynamic framework today, but a path to accelerate static modules inside existing PHP applications. Keep frameworks such as WordPress, Laravel, or Symfony on PHP, then compile static and performance-sensitive modules into standalone executables or native libraries. A PHP extension bridge remains on the roadmap.

How does the elephc PHP compiler work?

elephc uses a twelve-stage compilation pipeline covering source classification, lexing, parsing, resolution, type checking, AST optimization, declaration reachability, EIR lowering and optimization, register allocation, target code generation, and linking. It targets macOS ARM64, Linux ARM64, Linux x86_64, and iOS ARM64 libraries.

What PHP features does elephc support?

elephc supports 24 user-facing types, modern PHP control flow and object features, functions and closures, native extensions, and 1,068 compiled built-in functions across strings, arrays, math, I/O, databases, images, iconv, curl, mbstring, XML, and other categories.

Is elephc free and open source?

Yes, elephc is free and open-source software released under the MIT License. The source code is available on GitHub at github.com/illegalstudio/elephc.

unset() - internals — elephc docs

`unset()` - internals

Where it lives

Signature: crates/elephc-builtin-contract/src/catalog_surfaces.rs
Lowering: src/codegen/lower_inst/builtins/types.rs:141 (lower_unset_builtin)
Function symbol: lower_unset_builtin()

Lowering notes

Rejects unset() calls that were not converted into direct EIR unbind operations.
Reaching this lowering means crate::ir_lower::expr could not turn the target
into a slot clear, a hash/array removal, an offsetUnset() call, a __unset()
call or a dynamic-property removal, so the message lists the shapes that do lower
directly and then names the one shape users hit most.
Fixed untyped slots selected by reachable property unset() operations are widened to
boxed Mixed and lowered through PropUnset, so they do not reach this fallback. Packed
fields, by-reference property slots, and dynamic shapes whose magic behavior depends on
runtime state remain deliberately unsupported.
A BY-REFERENCE INDEXED ARRAY is the shape named here. unset() removes a key without
renumbering, so a packed list has to become a hash — and a callee cannot retype the
caller’s slot, which still reads array<T>. The associative form has no such problem
and lowers directly (issue #677), so the message names the difference rather than
leaving “array/hash elements” looking like a blanket promise.

Semantic descriptor

Shared contract with a dedicated compiler language-construct implementation.

EIR and runtime boundary

Lowered by a dedicated compiler language-construct path.

Signature summary

function unset(mixed $var, ...$vars): void

What the type checker enforces

Arity: takes exactly 1 argument.
Variadic: collects excess arguments into $vars.

Eval interpreter (magician)

Declaration: crates/elephc-magician/src/interpreter/builtins/symbols/unset.rs (eval_builtin!)
Execution: Magician interpreter adapter.
Adapter reason: dynamic-language-surface.
Dispatch hooks: direct, values
Variadic: collects excess arguments into $vars.

Cross-references

User reference for unset()