PHP 8.5 New Features: 10 Major Upgrades

PHP 8.5 is launching November 20, 2025, and brings vital new syntax, smoother debugging, and smarter tools for developers. The highlights below cover 10 essential features and 4 deprecations, plus how to try everything right away with a professional local dev environment management tool.

1. Pipe Operator (|>)

One of the most anticipated additions: the pipe operator (|>). It lets you pass the value of an expression as the first argument to the next function, creating readable, left-to-right data flows—no more deeply nested functions or tons of temporary variables.

$rawInput = " My New Article Title! ";

$cleanSlug = $rawInput
|> trim(...)
|> strtolower(...)
|> fn($s) => str_replace(' ', '-', $s);

echo $cleanSlug; // "my-new-article-title!"

2. New Array Functions: array_first() and array_last()

Fetch an array’s first or last value safely, finally skipping messy pointer functions like reset() or end().

$inventory = ['apple' => 10, 'banana' => 5, 'cherry' => 2];

$firstItemCount = array_first($inventory); // 10
$lastItemCount = array_last($inventory); // 2

$empty = [];
var_dump(array_first($empty)); // null

3. Fatal Error Stack Traces

Out-of-memory and other fatal errors now generate a full stack trace, making production debugging much easier. Controlled by the fatal_error_backtraces INI setting.

4. Error/Exception Handler Introspection

New functions: get_error_handler() and get_exception_handler() let you query the current error/exception handler without changing config—great for more robust error logic.

5. max_memory_limit INI Setting

System admins can now enforce a maximum memory limit for scripts, preventing accidental resource exhaustion—no script can override this ceiling.

6. curl_multi_get_handles()

Manage sets of concurrent HTTP calls easier. Get all active handles in a multi-cURL context using curl_multi_get_handles(), boosting efficiency for high-throughput apps.

7. Internationalization: locale_is_right_to_left()

Detect right-to-left locales (like Arabic or Hebrew) instantly with locale_is_right_to_left() and Locale::isRightToLeft()—now your interface can adapt accurately for global users.

8. IntlListFormatter Class

Format lists for users in their own language and context—handle connectors (AND, OR, UNITS) and punctuation automatically.

9. CLI Debugging: php --ini=diff

A new command-line flag lists only settings that differ from PHP defaults—making configuration drift easy to catch and debug.

php --ini=diff

10. PHP_BUILD_DATE Constant

Automatically expose the PHP binary’s build date and time, making deployment tracking and scripting simpler.

Deprecated in PHP 8.5 (4 Language Cleanups)

To prep for PHP 9:

Scalar Cast Syntax: Only use the short forms: (int), (float), (bool), (string) Older forms (like (integer)) are deprecated.
MHASH_* Constants: All hash constants are deprecated; use the newer hash() function with string names.
Output Buffer Return Type: Output buffer handlers must always return strings, not arrays or booleans.
Direct Output in Buffer Handlers: Don’t echo or print inside an output buffer handler—only return your modifications.

Try PHP 8.5 Early with ServBay

Even before official release, ServBay, a leading local dev environment management tool, lets you download, configure, and run PHP 8.5:

Instant feature access: Try pipe operator, array_first/last, and more locally.
Early compatibility checks: Debug deprecated features in your projects before production.
Quick version switching: Swap PHP versions in one click for different projects.