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zend-ffi

Provides the base API for creating extensions, or modifying Zend/PHP internal core with FFI.

• For PHP 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, Windows, Mac, Linux

It allows loading of shared libraries (.dll or .so), calling of C functions and accessing of C type data structures in pure PHP.

This package breaks down the Zend extension API into PHP classes getting direct access to all PHP internal actions. You can actually change PHP default behaviors. You will be able to get the behavior of componere extension without needing it.

Many routines here is a rewrite of Z-Engine library package that use different terminology and setup structure. This package follow/keep PHP C source code style with a skeleton FFi installation process.

There are many extensions on Pecl that hasn't been updated.

Installation

For normal standalone usage.

To setup a skeleton for FFI integration.

Minimum php.ini setting:

For a simple FFI integration process create/edit:

• ffi_extension.json each package/library should list the files to preload, will be process by ffi_preloader.php script.
• .ignore_autoload.php will be called/executed by composer create-project your_package .cdef/foldername event.
  • This event is only called when your package is installed by composer create-project command.
• .preload.php for general common FFI functions to be used, change the tag_changeMe skeleton name.
• .github\workflows\*.yml these GitHub Actions is designed for cross-compiling and committing the binary back to your repo, change some_lib and some_repo skeleton names.
  • The idea of this is to make installation totally self-contained, the necessary third party library binary is bundled in.
  • The CI build Actions is setup for manually runs only.

Documentation

The functions in preload.php and Functions.php should be used or expanded upon.

See tests folder for examples. Copy/paste the code between --FILE-- and --EXPECT-- blocks in the .phpt files.

For general FFI C data handling see CStruct class.

Functions c_int_type(), c_struct_type(), c_array_type() and c_typedef() are wrappers for any C data typedef turning it into PHP CStruct class instance, with all FFI functions as methods with additional features.

For AST handling:

• zend_parse_string() will convert PHP source code into native C data zend_ast node held in ZendAst class, use print_ast() to display results.
• zend_ast_process(function(\ZE\AstProcess $hook){}) to intercept and modify AST after compilation process.

Get the behavior of PHP extensions like nikic/php-ast and sgolemon/astkit that provide low-level bindings to the underlying AST structures, without any addition library.

The whole PHP lifecycle process can be achieved by just extending StandardModule abstract class.

A hack for headers_sent() like errors: PHP Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at xxxxxxxx

To create proper FFI C library headers from any C ABI library *.h file

Linux: cpp -P -D"__attribute__(ARGS)=" path/to/original/header.h -o ffi_header.h Windows: First download mcpp mcpp -P -D"__attribute__(ARGS)=" path/to/original/header.h -o ffi_header.h

The option -I <directory> might be needed to search/find additional include sources, and the output file will still need editing, mostly 96% proper headers, FFI will complain, just edit/check the 2 lines after the indicated line.

Reference/Credits

• Introduction to PHP FFI
• How to Use PHP FFI in Programming
• PHP FFI and what it can do for you

• Getting Started with PHP-FFI Youtube

• Zend API - Hacking the Core of PHP
• PHP at the Core A Hacker's Guide - Manual
• PHP Internals Book
• Upgrading PHP extensions from PHP5 to NG
• Extending and Embedding PHP
• Whitepaper: Writing PHP Extensions - Zend PDF
• Part V: Extensibility
• In-depth study of PHP & Zend Engine TSRM Algorithms

• Threads and PHP

• Awesome PHP FFI
• Z-Engine library

Possible Security Risks

• Down the FFI Rabbit Hole

The Beginning

• About Zeev’s proposal of PHP superset

• Low-Level Programming
• Low-Level Programming: C, Assembly, and Program Execution

Contributing

Contributions are encouraged and welcome; I am always happy to get feedback or pull requests on Github :) Create Github Issues for bugs and new features and comment on the ones you are interested in.

License

The MIT License (MIT). Please see License File for more information.