[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #62622: Bump minimum PHP version to 7.3

[WordPress Trac]

#62622: Bump minimum PHP version to 7.3
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 Reporter:  justlevine   |      Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement  |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal       |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  General      |    Version:
 Severity:  normal       |   Keywords:
  Focuses:               |
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 This ticket tracks discussion and work on the next bump to the minimum PHP
 version (tentatively v7.3).

 == Policy / Criteria for Version Bumps

 There is **no official policy or criteria**
 [[https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/58719#comment:30|(ref)]] for
 handling PHP Version bumps. Pending
 [[https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/58719#comment:1|that
 discussion]], the following is based on the processes used until now:

 1. Matt is the ultimate decision maker on whether to bump the minimum PHP
 version.
 2. That discussion is initiated by the release/project leads based on
 several (public and private) factors.
 3. A **general** litmus test to gauge whether a version should be bumped
 is if the % of users (via https://wordpress.org/about/stats/) left behind
 by the bump is `< 5%`.
 4. However, usage stats alone are not reason to bump the minimum PHP
 Version but also have a positive impact on the
 project/codebase/tooling/etc.

 **Important:** Bumping the minimum PHP version (this ticket) is not the
 same as changing the [[https://wordpress.org/about/requirements/|minimum
 ''recommended'' version]] (v7.4 as of 30 Nov 2024).

 For the reasons above, the use of `7.3` in the title is really just to
 kickoff the discussion, and a decision may be made to wait/skip to v7.4.

 Background: #58719, #51043, #57345

 == Data Points - Nov 2024

 Hopefully, @samiamnot will continue his lovely periodic stat updates
 ([[https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/58719#comment:62|last here]]),
 but as of 30 Nov 2024:

 - PHP 7.2 usage is `2.77%` Including versions abandoned in the previous
 bump in WP6.6 (PHP 7.0-7.2): `%4.59`.
 - PHP 7.3 usage is `3.28%`. (PHP 7.2 + 7.3 = `6.05%`).
 - PHP 7.4 is at `32.83%`. On WP6.6 Release Day,
 [[https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/58719#comment:54|that number was
 `39.63%`]].

 **Note**: .org Stats do not offer a cross-reference between WP/PHP
 versions. As such these percentages include sites that may already be
 (colloquially) abandoned on a previous WordPress release,but could
 theoretically upgrade if their plugin/theme stack supports recent WP
 versions.

 Bumping the minimum version to v7.3 would allow for
 - trailing commas in functions like `sprintf()` and `array_merge()`
 - removing back-compat for `array_key_first()`, `array_key_last()`, and
 `is_countable()`
 - possibly other things

 Bumping the minimum version to v7.4 would allow for
 - unpacking inside arrays
 - arrow functions
 - typed properties (!!)
 - removing back-compat for `hash_hmac()` and `hash_equals()`
 - possibly other things

 == Previously
 #58719 Bumping the minimum PHP version to 7.2 in WordPress 6.6
 #57345 Bumping the minimum PHP version to 7.0 in WordPress 6.3
 #46594 Bumping the minimum PHP version to 5.6 in WordPress 5.2
 #16917 Bumping the minimum PHP version to 5.2 in WordPress 3.2

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/62622>
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