PHP
syntax

Reach for match() instead of switch

match compares strictly, returns a value and throws on an unhandled case, which removes the three usual switch bugs in one move.

October 7, 20261 min read

switch uses loose comparison ('1' == 1), falls through when a break is missing, and silently does nothing for a value nobody expected. match fixes all three.

$label = match ($order->status) {
    OrderStatus::Pending => 'Waiting for payment',
    OrderStatus::Paid, OrderStatus::Shipped => 'On its way',
};

The comparison is ===, each arm is an expression that becomes the result, and a status with no arm throws UnhandledMatchError right where the gap is. A default arm is allowed when a fallback really is the intent.

match (true) with conditions as arms replaces an if/elseif ladder that only picks a value.

New

PHP
syntax
collections

Pass methods with first-class callable syntax

strtoupper(...) and $this->toDto(...) create a Closure from a function or method, so callbacks stop being strings or arrow-function wrappers.

Published on: October 6, 2026

1 min read New

PHP
enums
validation

tryFrom() at the edges, from() inside

OrderStatus::from('xyz') throws a ValueError; tryFrom('xyz') returns null. Use tryFrom for query strings, webhooks and imports, and from where a wrong value is a bug.

Published on: October 19, 2026

1 min read