Minimum PHP version for Yii 2.2

[rhertogh]

Based on the discussion in #19831 and #19875 I would like propose a poll.
Please read the arguments (pros/cons) below and add your own.

Current (2023-06-27) usage statistics:

From the Reusing Yii3 packages discussion:

@samdark:

The hard decision here is to align PHP versions so that will require Yii 2.2 to be PHP 8.0+ at least.

From the Yii 2.2 discussion:

@tomaszkane:

IMHO as @schmunk42 says: https://packagist.org/packages/yiisoft/yii2/php-stats PHP 5.4 is 0.0 - 0.1% installations - so (almost) no one needs support this version.
For me resonable minimum is last "7" branch: 7.4.

@My6UoT9:

I would like to see Yii2 being in sync with supported PHP versions, so that would be 8,1+
edit: actually php 8.0 since that is suported till end of year. https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php

@schmunk42:

I'd advocate for 8.1 - I upgraded a lot of projects in the past months and while upgrading to 8.0 is rather easy, 8.1 and 8.2 raises a lot more of issues.

@mtangoo:

In our company we are running on 8.1 with no issues. 8.2 is rather a problem.

@rhertogh :

I would also advocate for PHP 8.1. It's already supported in Yii 2.0, so anyone who need a lower PHP version can stay on that version and step by step transition to PHP 8.1. From there they could make the switch to Yii 2.2 if they want.

@samdark:

hhvm and PHP 5 are safe to drop support for.
pre-7.4 versions are 19% together and that is signficiant. I wonder if these are using older Yii2 versions as well but we don't have the stats.
7.4 is the most popular version despite it being EOL-ed.

@terabytesoftw:

This has turned into a snowball, the more versions of PHP are released, the more difficult it will be to have compatibility, so i think it should be done, with a minimum version of at least 8.0 or 8.1, whoever uses previous versions will stay at 2.0.

@samdark:

Some reasons on why people don't switch to PHP 8: https://twitter.com/sam_dark/status/1656549413282611200

@rhertogh:

I think the current users can be grouped in 3 groups:

1. Users that want to move forward.
   • Willing to upgrade to Yii 2.2
   • Use a recent PHP version (>= 8.1)
2. Users that are happy to stay where they are.
   • Are OK with staying on Yii 2.0
   • Probably are using an older PHP version (e.g. 7.4)
3. Users that would want to use Yii 2.2 but can't.
   • Would like to upgrade to Yii 2.2
   • Stuck on an older PHP version (e.g. 7.4)

So my argument is that even a lot of the current Yii 2 installs are on PHP < 8.1 they are most likely in group 2 (happy to stay). Therefore the question should be: Should group 1 be hold back by group 3?
Since I don't think group 3 makes up a significant percentage I would argue that Yii 2.2 should focus on group 1 and use PHP 8.1 as the minimum version.

p.s. I tried to summarize the arguments as good as possible. If anyone feel they are misquoted or want their argument updated, please let me know.

[tomaszkane]

Update: IMHO it should be like in Yii3, latest supported PHP version.
When 2.2 will be ready it will be 8.1 I believe.
It's new Yii version, not simple update.

[schmunk42]

If an intermediate step with PHP 7.4 as a minimum requirement helps (see #19831 (comment)) I'd be fine with it, just sayin'.
But you'd need a Yii 2.3 version for PHP 8+ then I think.

[mtangoo]

I think we can keep 2.0.x as <=7.4 bug-fixing/sec update only while >=2.1 will be 8.1+ only. So one will have to choose.
8.0 is not an issue for me as I got a big system from 7.4 to 8.0 to 8.1 with almost no remembable change. So we can count 8.0 as 8.1 vote (without sounding dictators ;))

[terabytesoftw]

I'm working on a draft of php 8.0. and it's really not easy, getting everything working will take some time, so it's best to do this effort on a newer version of PHP.

And if it were better php 8.1 is better, PDO changes from 8.0 to 8.1, in 8.0 all int are string in 8.1 they are int :)

[rhertogh]

How do you mean that exactly, isn't Yii 2.0 already compatible with PHP 8.1?

[terabytesoftw]

Yes it is compatible, but some small adjustments must be made.

[samdark]

Here's a fresh update on PHP version stats: https://stitcher.io/blog/php-version-stats-july-2023 Seems 8.1 is growing fast.

[mtangoo]

• 7.4 ie EOL and in the fall
• 8.0 + 8.1 accounts for more than 50%
• 8.x are rising
  I would say IMHO, that 8.0/8.1 are best bet on minimum PHP version reading this chart

[lourdas]

I don't get why 8.0 never reached above 24%... Yes, 8.1 is indeed growing fast.

FWIW, I voted for 8.0, since there are servers out there that must serve a few applications at the same time, so compatibility with 8.1 might be something that just doesn't work.

[mtangoo]

If it is shared servers, then you can set individual subdomains/domains PHP versions in CPanel.
If it is VPS, you can have multiple instances of apache running on different ports, if that is an option

[xicond]

Do we need add php ver limitation in v2.0, let say <8.0

[bizley]

No.