Unleashing the Power of Tracing JIT in PHP: A Performance Revolution

Marian V. Pop
3 min readOct 21, 2023

In the dynamic world of web development, performance is a critical factor. PHP, one of the most popular server-side scripting languages, has evolved over the years to meet the demands of modern web applications. A significant contributor to PHP’s performance boost is the integration of Tracing Just-In-Time Compilation (Tracing JIT) in the PHP runtime engine. In this article, we will explore the concept of Tracing JIT in PHP, its working principles, and how it has transformed the language, making it faster and more efficient.

A Quick Overview of PHP

PHP is a versatile server-side scripting language widely used for web development. It powers millions of websites, and its ease of use and extensive library support have made it a top choice for developers. However, PHP has faced criticism for its interpretation-based execution, which was deemed slower compared to natively compiled languages.

Understanding Tracing JIT in PHP

Tracing JIT is a revolutionary technology that has found its way into PHP, allowing it to bridge the performance gap with natively compiled languages. Tracing JIT in PHP leverages the Just-In-Time Compilation (JIT) approach, but with a focus on optimizing frequently executed code paths in real-time. This enables PHP to dynamically adapt…

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Marian V. Pop

🧙‍♂️ PHP / @Laravel Developer ✍🏻 Writing and maintaining @LaravelMagazine 🎙 Host of “The Laravel Magazine Podcast”. 👤 Pronouns: vi/vim