Pronounced el-ef-see — just spell out “LFC”.
elephc is a from-scratch compiler for a static subset of PHP:
parse, type-check, lower to native assembly, assemble, and link.
Standalone executables, shared and static libraries, iOS library targets, and three --web isolation modes today.
No VM. No Zend Engine. No opcode fallback.
Doom-style 3D engine
Written in PHP, compiled to a native binary with elephc
Positioning
elephc stays close to the PHP ecosystem while drawing a clear technical line: supported code is compiled ahead of time to native assembly. Standalone executables, shared libraries, and static libraries are available today, with a PHP extension bridge on the roadmap.
Compiler model
elephc is not a PHP packager and does not bundle Zend/PHP. It parses PHP, type-checks a supported static subset, lowers it to native assembly, then assembles and links it with a small runtime included in the output.
Runtime contract
There is no interpreter, VM, Zend Engine, or opcode fallback waiting behind the compiled path. Unsupported dynamic behavior is a compiler boundary, not a silent fallback mode.
Framework direction
The strategy is hybrid: WordPress, Laravel, Symfony, and other PHP applications can keep running on PHP while static modules move into native libraries today and PHP extensions in the future.
elephc is a from-scratch compiler for a static subset of PHP. It is not a packager for the PHP runtime, and it does not ship Zend/PHP inside the result. The pipeline is parse, type-check, lower to native assembly, assemble, link, and include a small runtime in the binary. If elephc compiles it, it runs as native code.
Not a drop-in replacement for an entire dynamic framework today, but a path to accelerate static modules inside existing PHP applications. Keep the framework on PHP, isolate static and performance-sensitive modules, and compile them into standalone executables or native libraries. A PHP extension bridge remains future work.
Get started
elephc builds executables for macOS ARM64, Linux ARM64, and Linux x86_64, and cross-compiles libraries for iOS ARM64 devices and the iOS ARM64 Simulator. The elvm version manager installs releases side by side and selects a global or project-specific compiler.
curl, tar, and shasum or sha256sum as, ld, libc dev files) cargo) cc, ar, ranlib Manual release downloads and complete setup details are in the installation guide.
0.1.0 Basic CLI compiler 0.26.4 BCMath decimal arithmetic, OpenSSL-compatible encryption, parse_url(), and an eleven-driver PDO matrix 0.26.5 mysqli, web isolation modes, whole-program declaration pruning, and smaller release binaries 0.26.6 curl, native profiling, iOS library targets, and recoverable library ABI v3 current next PHP extension bridge for framework integration next Multi-file library builds and pkg-config metadata 1.0.0 Production-ready