Re: Re: The future of PHP - accessory libraries

Rasmus Lerdorf wrote:

Something which seems to not be a viable option for most things is SO files. For some reason, the only "real" way (documented) to get things into PHP is to compile them all into PHP. I've used the pdflib SO file and just used dl() to bring it in - works like a champ. Pity I can't do that for gd and other things. I don't NEED these things compiled in to PHP for every page request, yet the only method that's ever worked for me is by compiling them directly in. Most packages don't give PHP specific instructions, and even the couple that do don't appear to give instructions on how to make SO files.

Hrm.. Something like ./configure --with-gd=shared,/home/rasmus/gd-2.0.1 --with-jpeg-dir=/usr Doesn't work? If not, please file a bug report. It certainly should. I am not disagreeing that things could be improved, but I would like to see some realistic suggestions. We cannot maintain all 3rd-party libaries that PHP connects to. That should be obvious. We don't have the resources, nor are we legally able to in some cases.

That's not allowing me to simply dl() an SO file, because I don't have the SO file to start with - that's what I was trying to get at. If I have to reconfigure everything, there's not much point, I don't think. Unless I'm missing something obvious. I'd like to be able to simply have an SO file I can dl() without recompiling. Or are you saying that that configure statement WILL create an SO file that can be dl()ed later, without recompiling PHP?