Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The DZone PHP 5.4 Refcard is a free-PDF quick reference to everyday PHP programming topics, not just a list of new PHP 5.4 features. Its coverage ranges from packages and frameworks to arrays, regular expressions, dates, and MySQL integration. Because it reflects an older PHP era, its examples are best read as historical reference material—not as current deployment or coding guidance.
What is the DZone PHP 5.4 Refcard?
DZone identifies the item as Refcard #023, titled PHP 5.4 with the subtitle “Scripting with PHP.” The listed author is Jason Gilmore. DZone labels it a “Free PDF for Easy Reference” and says it was created to help readers navigate common PHP features, including object-oriented programming, array and string manipulation, regular expressions, and MySQL integration. The page describes a PDF; it does not establish that a physical edition exists or that the download is currently available.
The refcard’s contents are broader than PHP 5.4’s release changes. It is organized as a practical sampler of language and application-development tasks, rather than a focused upgrade manual. See the DZone PHP 5.4 Refcard page.
What topics does the refcard cover?
DZone’s contents list moves from ecosystem and setup topics into core PHP work and database integration:
#1 Best Overall
- Packages and frameworks: Popular PEAR Packages and Popular Frameworks.
- Language and data handling: Object-Oriented PHP, Working with Arrays, and String Parsing.
- Common programming tasks: Regular Expressions and Telling Time with PHP.
- Database work and further reading: MySQL Integration and Useful Online Resources.
This range makes the card useful for recognizing the kinds of tasks PHP developers handled, or for locating a topic in legacy material. It should not be treated as a complete PHP reference: its listed coverage is selective, and the page does not claim otherwise.
Which features were new in PHP 5.4?
PHP’s development team announced PHP 5.4.0 on March 1, 2012. The release announcement highlighted traits, shortened array syntax, a command-line built-in web server, multibyte support across builds through a runtime switch, and improvements to performance and memory use. The announcement excerpt gives no numerical performance benchmark, so those improvements should not be read as a quantified result. Read the PHP 5.4.0 release announcement.
Rank #2
These release highlights are only part of the refcard’s subject matter. A card that also covers arrays, strings, regular expressions, dates, and database access is addressing routine programming work, not solely PHP 5.4’s new language capabilities.
Why should PHP 5.4 examples be read historically?
The 5.4.0 release removed several behaviors and settings, including register_globals, magic_quotes, and safe_mode. It also removed the break/continue $var syntax and the allow_call_time_pass_reference INI option. These changes matter when interpreting old code or assessing compatibility; they are not a reason to assume a legacy application will work unchanged on another PHP version.
The distributed php.ini files changed default_charset to UTF-8, while the runtime default remained an empty string. The ext/sqlite extension moved to PECL, but ext/sqlite3 and ext/pdo_sqlite were not affected. The announcement also said PHP 5.4 would be the final series to support Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Some refcard material uses conventions that require particular caution now. Its regular-expression section includes POSIX ereg functions, and its database discussion includes MySQLi. Treat those as evidence of the card’s period and scope, not as an endorsement of the examples for current projects. Check the documentation for the PHP version and APIs you actually use before adapting legacy code.
Rank #4
Is PHP 5.4 still supported?
No: PHP 5.4 is a historical branch. The PHP team announced PHP 5.4.45 on September 3, 2015, as the branch’s last scheduled release. The announcement allowed that another release might follow if an important security issue warranted it and recommended that users plan an upgrade. It specifically advised PHP 5.4 users to consider moving to PHP 5.5 or PHP 5.6 at that time; that dated recommendation is not present-day upgrade guidance. Read the PHP 5.4.45 release announcement.
An earlier announcement for PHP 5.4.44 likewise said the branch was nearing the end of its support timeframe and recommended planning an upgrade. Read the PHP 5.4.44 announcement. For a system that still runs PHP 5.4, select a currently supported PHP version using current official guidance and test application compatibility before migrating; the historical announcements do not establish today’s supported-version choices.
Who should use the refcard?
The card is most relevant to readers studying legacy PHP material, identifying what a PHP 5.4-era quick reference covered, or orienting themselves to common PHP programming topics from that period. It can also provide context when reviewing old code, provided that deprecated or removed behaviors are recognized as historical.
It is not a safe standalone guide for deploying a PHP 5.4 runtime, choosing a current framework, or writing production code today. The DZone page describes the resource as a free PDF, but available evidence does not confirm whether the PDF can still be downloaded.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
