RA PHAR Compiler

RA PHAR Compiler | Author: Roberto Aleman | ventics.com

This is a simple, educational web-based PHP script designed to compile a PHP application and its assets into a single executable PHAR (PHP Archive) file. It's ideal for learning about the Phar class in PHP and for quickly packaging small to medium-sized PHP projects for distribution.

Features

• Web-based Interface: Easy-to-use form for compiling PHAR files.
• Automatic File Inclusion: Automatically includes all `.php`, `.css`, `.js`, `.png`, `.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.gif`, `.json`, `.xml`, `.html`, `.htm`, and `.txt` files from the current directory and its subdirectories.
• Self-Exclusion: The compiler script itself is automatically excluded from the generated PHAR.
• Configurable Stub: Allows you to specify the main entry point file (stub) for your application within the PHAR.
• Compression Options: Supports Gzip and Bzip2 compression for the PHAR archive.
• Basic Validation: Includes checks for valid PHAR file names, existence of the stub file, and write permissions.
• phar.readonly Check: Notifies the user if `phar.readonly` is enabled in `php.ini`, preventing PHAR creation.

Prerequisites

Before using this compiler, ensure your PHP environment meets the following requirements:

1. PHP 7.0+: The `Phar` class is a standard PHP extension.
2. php.ini Configuration: phar.readonly = 0: This setting in your php.inimust be set to 0* to allow the creation of PHAR files. On production servers, this is typically set to `1` for security reasons. extension=bz2 (optional)*: Enable this extension in `php.ini` if you intend to use Bzip2 compression. extension=zlib (optional)*: Ensure this extension is enabled in `php.ini` if you intend to use Gzip compression (often enabled by default).

How to Use

1. Download/Create: Save the provided `phar_compiler.php` script into the root directory of the PHP application you wish to package.
2. Access via Web Server: Open the script in your web browser through your local web server (e.g., `http://localhost/your_project_folder/phar_compiler.php`).
3. Configure Options: PHAR file name:* Provide the desired name for your compiled archive (e.g., `my_application.phar`). It must end with `.phar`. Main file (stub):* Enter the path to your application's main entry point file (e.g., `index.php`). This file must be located in the same directory as the compiler script. Compression Type:* Select 'None', 'Gzip', or 'Bzip2' for the archive's compression.
4. Compile: Click the "Compile to PHAR" button.
5. Review Output: A message will display on the page indicating success or detailing any errors encountered during the compilation process.
6. Locate PHAR: The generated `.phar` file will be found in the same directory where `phar_compiler.php` resides.

Running the Compiled PHAR

To execute your compiled PHAR file from the command line:

php your_application.phar