skeleton

Skeleton

A minimal PHP extension built with phpz — the simplest possible starting point for new projects.

What's inside

• Functions: hello() prints a greeting, greet(string $name): string returns a personalized message
• Class: Counter — constructor with optional initial value, add(int $n), dec(int $n), value(): int

Project structure

.
├── build.zig              # Build config
├── build.zig.zon          # Dependencies
├── skeleton.h             # C header (includes phpz.h + arginfo)
├── skeleton.stub.php      # Stub file → gen_stub.php → arginfo.h
├── skeleton_arginfo.h     # Generated arginfo (do not edit)
├── run-tests.php          # PHP test runner
├── src/
│   ├── root.zig           # Entry: module setup, hello(), greet()
│   └── classes/
│       └── counter.zig    # Counter class
└── tests/
    ├── hello.phpt
    ├── greet.phpt
    └── counter.phpt

Run

# Build and run tests
zig build test

Custom PHP include path:

zig build test -Dphp-include-dir=/usr/local/include/php

Try it manually

# Build
zig build

# Run functions
php -dextension=./modules/skeleton.so -r 'hello();'
php -dextension=./modules/skeleton.so -r 'echo greet("World");'

# Use the Counter class
php -dextension=./modules/skeleton.so -r '
    $c = new Counter(5);
    $c->add(3);
    echo $c->value();
'

Start your own extension

Copy this directory and rename skeleton to your extension name throughout:

• build.zig.zon → .name
• build.zig → ext_name
• skeleton.h → rename file and update #include guards + phpext_*_ptr
• skeleton.stub.php → rename file, update functions/classes
• src/root.zig → update module(.name = ...)

Then run gen_stub.php to regenerate the arginfo header and you're ready to go.