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Introduction To The Compiler

The build process converts your application's source code into an executable optimized for the production environment.

This requires a boson-php/compiler component that is supplied separately from the boson-php/runtime.

Installation

Requirements:

  • PHP ^8.4

Compilation Process

The process of building an application consists of several consecutive steps:

  1. The first step is to try to read the boson.json configuration file.

  2. Next, all settings explicitly passed to the console command arguments are applied; for example, the --platform=macos argument will explicitly override configuration "platform" field value.

  3. Next, the application is assembled into a single phar archive. The archive is placed in the output directory.

  4. Next, the PHP runtime, application code and settings are compiled into a single executable file.

  5. The final step is to move the built application and its dependencies to the appropriate build directory.

Read Configuration

Applying CLI arguments

Assembling the PHAR

Compilation

Applying ini settings

Selecting a PHP runtime

Copying dependencies to the build directory

Usage

Compiler package provides a command line tool that can be executed with the php vendor/bin/boson command. For example, you can run the list command to get information about the capabilities of the console utility.

php vendor/bin/boson list

Then the output result will be approximately the same as on the screen

Boson Command Line 0.13.4 Usage: command [options] [arguments] Options: -h, --help Display help for the given command. When no command is given display help for the list command --silent Do not output any message -q, --quiet Only errors are displayed. All other output is suppressed -V, --version Display this application version --ansi|--no-ansi Force (or disable --no-ansi) ANSI output -n, --no-interaction Do not ask any interactive question -v|vv|vvv, --verbose Increase the verbosity of messages: 1 for normal output, 2 for more verbose output and 3 for debug Available commands: [[[compile|compiler-building.html]]] Compile application to executable binary help Display help for a command [[[init|compiler-configuration.html]]] Initialize configuration [[[list|#usage]]] List commands pack Pack application files to phar assembly
10 July 2025
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