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How do I use platform requirements to specify required PHP extensions?
How do I use platform requirements to specify required PHP extensions?
Jul 05, 2025 am 12:39 AM
The way to define the required extension in a PHP project is through the config.platform object of composer.json. The specific steps are: open the composer.json file; add or locate the config.platform object; list the required extension and its minimum version (or use to represent any version). For example: "php": "8.1", "ext-curl": "", "ext-gd": "2.0", "ext-mbstring": "*". Platform requirements are suitable for deployment to restricted environments, ensuring environmental consistency, relying on specific PHP functions, etc. Pay attention to distinguishing require from config.platform to avoid missing extensions or incorrect configuration versions. Proper settings can effectively prevent runtime errors and improve deployment reliability.
When setting up a PHP project, especially one that needs to run in specific environments like shared hosting or certain cloud platforms, you'll often need to define which PHP extensions are required. The best way to do this is through the composer.json file using the platform configuration under the config section.
What Are Platform Requirements and Why Use Them?
Platform requirements let you tell Composer (and anyone installing your project) which versions of PHP and its extensions are needed. This is especially useful when deploying applications where the server environment might not have all extensions enabled by default.
Instead of assuming the system running your code has, say, ext-curl available, you can enforce it — Composer will warn or fail during installation if the requirement isn't met.
How to Define Required Extensions
To specify required PHP extensions:
- Open your
composer.jsonfile. - Add a
config.platformobject if it doesn't already exist. - Under
config.platform, list each extension with the minimum version required (or*if any version works).
Here's an example:
{
"config": {
"platform": {
"php": "8.1",
"ext-curl": "*",
"ext-gd": "2.0",
"ext-mbstring": "*"
}
}
}This tells Composer that your app requires PHP 8.1, and that it must have curl, gd (version 2.0 or higher), and mbstring extensions enabled.
Pro tip: You don't always need to set every extension here unless it's critical for your app to run. Overloading platform settings can make installs more fragment on limited environments.
When Should You Use Platform Requirements?
You should use them in these situations:
- Deploying to a restricted or managed host (like shared hosting or PaaS providers).
- Ensuring consistency across dev, staging, and production environments.
- If your app uses features from newer PHP versions or relies on specific extensions.
If you're developing locally and not sharing or deploying your code elsewhere, you may not need to set these — but as soon as others or other systems will be installing your package, it's worth doing.
Common Pitfalls and Tips
Sometimes, people confuse require with config.platform . Here's the difference:
-
"require"lists PHP packages your app depends on. -
"config.platform"defines what's already installed on the system (PHP version and loaded extensions).
If you forget to include an extension in config.platform , Composer might install a package that assumes the extension exists — leading to runtime errors later.
Also, some developers mistakenly write "ext-name": "true" instead of "*" . Stick to * for most cases — it means "any version is acceptable as long as it's present."
Final Thoughts
Using platform requirements in composer.json is straightforward and helps avoid deployment surprises. Just list the extensions and PHP version your app really needs, and Composer will help enforce that.
Basically that's it.
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