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AndrewGotham
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PHP

Since 1998

Server-side programming language that has evolved from simple scripts to modern enterprise applications

70%
Proficiency Level
25+ years
Experience since PHP 3.3
v8.3/8.4
Current Versions

PHP Evolution and My Journey

PHP is a language I have observed and used since its inception. Starting with PHP 3.3 in 1998, I have gone through all major milestones of the language's development - from simple HTML generation scripts to creating complex object-oriented systems.

Historical Perspective

PHP 3.3 (1998)

Beginning of the Journey

First PHP projects: simple websites, guest books, feedback forms. Working in procedural style, embedding PHP in HTML.

PHP 4 (2000-2008)

Zend Engine

Introduction of Zend Engine, first attempts at OOP. Development of more complex applications, beginning work with databases through mysql_* functions.

PHP 5 (2004-2015)

Real OOP

Full-fledged object-oriented model, exceptions, namespaces. Transition to PDO for database work, emergence of first frameworks.

PHP 7+ (2015-Present)

Modern Era

Significant performance improvement, scalar types, return types, spaceship operator, null coalescing operator. Working with modern frameworks.

PHP 8.x (2020-Present)

JIT and Modern Features

Attributes, union types, match expression, nullsafe operator, JIT compilation. Active development on PHP 8.3 and testing PHP 8.4.

Legacy Code Work and Migration

One of my key specializations is working with legacy code and adapting it to modern development standards. This includes both supporting old projects and their complete migration to modern technologies.

Approach to Legacy Code

  • Analysis and Understanding β€” deep study of existing codebase without documentation
  • Refactoring β€” gradual code improvement without breaking functionality
  • Safe Migration β€” transferring functionality while preserving business logic
  • Testing β€” creating tests for legacy code before making changes

Typical Migration Scenarios

Procedural β†’ OOP

Converting procedural code to object-oriented architecture

Custom Framework β†’ Laravel

Migration from custom solutions to modern frameworks

PHP 5.x β†’ PHP 8.x

Updating PHP versions with adaptation of outdated syntax

mysql_* β†’ PDO/Eloquent

Replacing outdated database functions with modern approaches

Real Migration Examples

  • E-commerce site on PHP 5.3 β†’ complete overhaul to Laravel 10 while preserving all business processes
  • Corporate portal β†’ migration from custom framework to modern architecture
  • API service β†’ refactoring procedural code into RESTful API with auto-documentation

Modern PHP Development

Modern Practices and Tools

Despite experience with legacy code, I actively use and promote modern approaches to PHP development:

  • Composer β€” dependency management and class autoloading
  • PSR Standards β€” following community standards
  • Type Declarations β€” strict typing for code reliability
  • Testing β€” PHPUnit, Pest for automated testing
  • Static Analysis β€” PHPStan, Psalm for error detection
  • Containerization β€” Docker for development and production environments

Key Competencies in Modern PHP

Object-Oriented Programming
Namespaces and Autoloading
Working with Exceptions and Errors
Modern PHP 8.x Features
Integration with Frontend Technologies
Performance Optimization
Web Application Security
REST API Development

Proficiency Level

Overall Proficiency 70%
Legacy Code 90%
Modern PHP 8.x 75%
Code Migration 85%

Quick Facts

Experience: 25+ years
Version: PHP 8.3/8.4
Projects: 100+
With PHP: since 1998

Related Competences

Laravel
90% proficiency
MySQL
88% proficiency
Composer
80% proficiency

All Competences

Explore the full spectrum of my technical skills and competences

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