DPC2023: How to eat an ElePHPant: How to modernize your legacy PHP Applications

Modernize your legacy PHP applications with actionable steps and best practices, from consolidating validation rules to using dependency injection and composer.

Key takeaways
  • Modernize legacy PHP applications in small steps, just like eating an elephant one bite at a time.
  • Consolidate all validation rules into a single file.
  • Usedependency injection to separate concerns and make code more modular.
  • Extract individual classes and functions and put them in their own files.
  • Use a front controller to manage routing and dependency injection.
  • Use composer for dependency management.
  • Keep configuration values in a separate file and use it to configure dependencies.
  • Extract a class map to organize and simplify code.
  • Use a PHP file to autoload classes, eliminating the need for manual inclusion.
  • Split presentation logic from business logic.
  • Create a separate function for each functionality, making it easier to manage complexity.
  • Use a secure pseudo-random number generator.
  • Use a configuration value either in the settings file or in the PHP file.
  • Declare all dependencies and use composer to manage them.
  • Create a dependency injection container to manage dependencies.
  • Keep the configuration file small and organized.
  • Use a single file for configuration values.
  • Use PHPStorm to inspect and analyze code.
  • Modernize legacy PHP applications to make them more efficient, secure, and maintainable.