MySQL’s JSON column type has been around since version 5.7, but it’s one of those features where the gap between “I know it exists” and “I know when and how to use it well” is surprisingly wide. Used correctly, JSON columns give you schema flexibility exactly where you need it. Used poorly, they become a […]

🎙️ PHP Podcast – June 25, 2026 Hosts: Eric Van Johnson & John Congdon Eric and John are back. Sara and Holly did a better job. Eric’s computer still hates him. 🔌 Eric’s Connectivity Saga: A Possible Resolution For weeks, Eric has been dealing with a maddening streaming issue — he could see and hear […]

If you’ve been hearing about Claude Code but assumed it’s mostly for the JavaScript and Python crowd, it’s time to take another look. Claude Code is a command-line AI coding tool that works directly in your terminal, and it’s remarkably effective for PHP development. Whether you’re building with Laravel, Symfony, or vanilla PHP, there are […]

I have been using Asterisk for many, many years. Today I release some new code, and upon code release we automatically update Asterisk to the latest version. All of a sudden, I started getting reports from customer service letting me know that recording voice mails was no longer working. I started looking into it and […]

 In this episode, Scott talks Holly Schilling about her work on the php tek 2026 mobile app and spec-driven development. Links: Our Discord – https://discord.gg/aMTxunVx Buy our shirts – https://store.phparch.com/products/community-corner-podcast-t-shirt Holly’s Links: Discord: TheCodeLorax Mastodon: https://tech.lgbt/@TheCodeLorax Blog: https://EventuallyWrong.com Scott’s Links: Website – https://scott.keck-warren.com/ Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/scottkeckwarren.bsky.social LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-keck-warren-91689810/ Mastodon – https://phpc.social/@scottkeckwarren PHP Architect […]

If you’ve ever watched a colleague fly through code in NeoVim and thought “that looks fast but I’d never figure out the config,” the barrier to entry has dropped significantly. LazyVim — a NeoVim distribution that ships with sensible defaults and a plugin manager — gives you a fully functional IDE experience within minutes, with […]

PHP 8.5 shipped with a feature that functional programming enthusiasts have been requesting for years: the pipe operator (|>). If you’ve used pipes in Unix shells, Elixir, F#, or even JavaScript proposals, the concept will feel immediately familiar. If you haven’t, you’re about to discover one of the cleanest ways to express data transformations in […]

🎙️ PHP Podcast – June 17, 2026 Hosts: Sara Golemon & Holly Schilling | Guests: Paul Reinheimer & Sean Coates Eric and John are still locked in the basement. Sara is literally on a boat in Spain. Normal show, totally normal. 🚢 Sara Broadcasts from a Harbor in A Coruña Sara is joining this week’s […]

Video version at: https://youtu.be/gAVfQhPw8Do A few weeks ago, I posted something on LinkedIn that ruffled some feathers. Here’s what I said: “Defaulting to the ORM for everything isn’t a best practice. It’s just the path of least resistance.” The replies came in fast, and a good chunk of them said the same thing: “That’s unsafe! […]

🎙️ PHP Podcast – June 11, 2026 Guest Hosts: Sara Golemon, Elizabeth Barron & Holly Schilling Eric and John are out this week — Sara, Elizabeth, and Holly take over. Here’s what they covered: 🎬 PHPVerse Recap PHPVerse just wrapped up, and Elizabeth was there in Amsterdam. The format is unusual — all speakers are […]