php-src: Source code of the PHP interpreter

The official source repository for PHP, a general-purpose scripting language specialized for web development. It contains the core code of the PHP interpreter, which handles the backend logic of various web services, from blogs to large-scale websites.

It is essential for developers who work directly with PHP's internal structures, such as the Zend Engine and TSRM (Threads Safe Resource Manager). You can compile PHP binaries tailored to custom environments using build tools like autoconf, bison, and re2c, and verify quality through an extensive test suite.

Unlike simple runtime distribution packages, it is used by developers who want to understand how the language itself works or add new features. It follows a strict contribution process where new features must be approved by the community and developer groups through the RFC process, while bug fixes are handled by referencing GitHub issues.

Distributed under the BSD-3-Clause license, it supports source building and testing on various platforms such as Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is suitable for senior developers and system engineers who need to modify or optimize the language core, the topmost layer of the PHP ecosystem.