PHP is a programming language popularly used in back-end development. It is an easy language that increases a developer’s efficiency in the programming world, especially when they are interacting with the database. Most server-side web applications will leverage the versatility of PHP development. Each PHP development is diverse in its uses and will require a composer to manage various dependencies in each project.
A composer finds the right packages for you depending on your project and installs them. In this article, we’ll highlight the benefits of using a PHP composer, why we use it, and how to install it on Ubuntu.
What is a composer?
In PHP, a composer is used to manage different dependencies. It’s designed to install all the required updates in your project. It relieves you from the hassle of manually updating packages by auto-downloading them depending on the project. It also installs them with all the updated application versions that your project requires.
Just like we use npm for node.JS or Pip for Python, PHP uses a composer to manage dependencies in a specific project. Popular PHP frameworks and platforms like Laravel and Symphony rely on a composer to resolve most issues during web development.
A PHP composer makes it easy to maintain the latest version of all the required libraries so you can easily get the packages for your project. It ensures the consistency of packages and package versions throughout the entire project.
Why use a composer for PHP ?
When coding in PHP, you are aware of the need to have libraries so you can easily save your work and make the code reusable. It makes it effortless to manage the code in case there’s a change in the environment or the codebase. A composer manager helps manage all your code dependencies so that you can readily reuse your code on new projects instead of creating the same functionality repeatedly.
The management system allows you to use different versions of the library across different PHP projects. As your project develops, the number of dependencies also grows, and it gets challenging trying to manage them manually. A composer system lists your dependencies in a file and with a few simple commands, it automatically downloads your project dependencies and sets up autoloading for you, allowing you to work on projects efficiently.
For a composer to work, it depends on three things:
- Composer.json file- shows all the dependencies to install for the project
- Composer.lock file- It shows a record of all the installed versions of the packages
- Packagist- It’s a repository that stores public packages installed in the composer
Features of a Composer FOR PHP
- A composer enables the execution of the libraries needed for specific projects.
- It finds the latest version of the package and automatically installs it in the project.
- You can update all dependencies all at once using one command.
Dependencies in PHP
Dependencies are PHP libraries, frameworks, and components that you use in web development projects. They make your work easier and improve coding efficiency.
It’s hard to manage and keep track of all dependencies in your project, not to mention time-consuming. A composer ensures you can easily access a file with a list of dependencies whenever you need them. This system ensures that you longer have to locate or re-download assets manually.
Benefits of using a PHP composer
A composer is a free open-source tool that simplifies the management of dependencies. It makes it easy for you to track all the moving parts of your project by automating the process. Through a composer, you can manage your dependencies throughout the entire project efficiently, and release quality software products.
Below are some benefits of using a composer.
- Automatically incorporates ready-to-use packages that assist you in solving common programming challenges.
- It keeps packages updated without manual tracking and management
- It auto-loads files and classes, leaving you to focus on the important aspects of the project
- You gain visibility into your dependencies and help them keep them functional and secure
- You can use namespace to load a unique path on your application and have it included in the autoloader file. By using the namespace, it is made available on the entire application.
How to install a PHP composer on Ubuntu
Follow the following steps to install a PHP composer on Ubuntu:
Step 1: Update system packages
To ensure you have all the requirements installed on your system, click ‘CTRL+ALT+T’ and update your system packages.
Step 2: Install the required packages
Run a command for installing packages for the PHP composer
Step 3: Download the PHP composer setup file
Use the ‘curl’ command to install the correct version of the composer.
Verify the hash of the downloaded PHP composer file.
Once you’re done, validate if you can execute the PHP composer installer safely.
Step 4: Install the PHP composer
After you have verified the installer, install the PHP composer on Ubuntu using the following command.
Verifying the hash of the downloaded file
Installing the PHP composer
Step 5: Test the PHP composer installation
Run the ‘composer’ command in the terminal to test the PHP composer installation.
Command options
To get a list of commands or options, run the ‘composer -h’ command.
Getting updates
If you want to receive updates on packages, run the ‘composer self-update’ command below
Creating a project
Now, let’s create a project using the PHP composer on Ubuntu.
Ans- Step 1: Update system packages.
Step 2: Install the required packages
Step 3: Download the PHP composer setup file
Step 4: Install the PHP composer
Step 5: Test the PHP composer installation
Ans-In PHP, a composer is used to manage different dependencies. It’s designed to install all the required updates in your project. It relieves you from the hassle of manually updating packages by auto-downloading them depending on the project. It also installs them with all the updated application versions that your project requires.
Ans-Automatically incorporates ready-to-use packages that assist you in solving common programming challenges.
It keeps packages updated without manual tracking and management
It auto-loads files and classes, leaving you to focus on the important aspects of the project
You gain visibility into your dependencies and help them keep them functional and secure
You can use namespace to load a unique path on your application and have it included in the autoloader file. By using the namespace, it is made available on the entire application.
Conclusion
A composer is a great tool for managing dependencies in PHP projects. It’s reliable in installing and updating PHP packages that the project depends on.
With a composer, you get instant access to your packages, frameworks, and components any time you need them.
In this article, we’ve gone through the benefits of a composer and the importance of having one. We’ve also shown you how to get started with a PHP composer in Ubuntu in five easy steps:
- Downloading and installing the composer
- How to get a list of commands
- Getting updates on packages
- Creating your project
- Checking installed packages on the composer
![Creating A Linux Virtual Machine [VMware Guide]](https://www.hawkdive.com/media/linux-218x150.jpg "Creating A Linux Virtual Machine [VMware Guide]")
