1.1. Introduction

Only time will tell if the PHP 5 release will be as successful as its two predecessors (PHP 3 and PHP 4). The new features and changes aim to rid PHP of any weaknesses it may have had and make sure that it stays in the lead as the world's best web-scripting language.

This book details PHP 5 and its new features. However, if you are familiar with PHP 4 and are eager to know what is new in PHP 5, this chapter is for you.

When you finish reading this chapter, you will have learned

• The new language features

• News concerning PHP extensions

• Other noteworthy changes to PHP's latest version