Chapter 12: Creating PHP 8 Applications Using Asynchronous Programming

In recent years, an exciting new technology has taken the PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) community by storm: asynchronous programming, also known as PHP async. The asynchronous programming model addresses an issue present in any application code written using the traditional synchronous mode of programming: your application is forced to wait for certain tasks to complete before providing results. The central processing unit (CPU) (or CPUs) of the server upon which your application is running sits idle while mundane input/output (I/O) tasks are performed. PHP async allows your application to take full advantage of hardware resources by suspending blocking I/O tasks until later. The net effect is a massive increase in performance, as well as the ability to handle a geometrically larger number of user requests.

After reading through this chapter and carefully studying the examples, you will be able to develop...