Issue #7

Conversations worth continuing

14 April 2026

"Some articles do more than inform: they sharpen judgment, spark debate, and remain useful long after publication. This issue is about exactly those pieces: one that prompted follow-up discussion, one classic that still frames today's debate about async, and one deeply practical guide to getting more out of PHP in production."
— Stefan & Sebastian

stitcher.io

Dependency hygiene, one week later

It is unusual for us to feature the same article twice. This one earned it because it was updated, sharpening the author's original point. It now provides a more nuanced explanation around the ext/sodium polyfill, sparked by discussions on social media.

Picked by Sebastian Bergmann and Stefan Priebsch – "We are glad to see this article growing into a broader community discussion. We like to think that PHP Reads played some role in moving this conversation forward."

journal.stuffwithstuff.com

A classic on async that still explains today's trade-offs

“What Color is Your Function?” is more than a famous metaphor. The article shows how asynchronous code shapes API design, composition, control flow, and error handling all at once. Even though the post dates back to 2015, its core insight remains highly relevant to today's discussion about async in PHP.

Picked by Stefan Priebsch – "This is still one of the clearest explanations of why async is not just a language feature, but a design constraint."

tideways.com

OPcache tuning that pays off in production

Benjamin Eberlei explains how to unlock one of PHP's most effective performance levers without touching application code or redesigning the architecture: OPcache configuration. The result is a piece that is deeply technical, highly practical, and immediately useful.

Picked by Sebastian Bergmann – "Benjamin consistently delivers practical performance guidance. This one is a strong example that is valuable well beyond the usual checklist advice."