Using Composer for PHP Dependency Management

ByAdmin

Jun 7, 2022 #Composer, #Dependency Management

Why Use Composer?

Composer is the standard dependency manager for PHP, simplifying the inclusion of libraries and packages in your projects. This article explains how to use Composer effectively.

1. Installing Composer

Download and install Composer globally:

curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php
mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/composer

2. Creating a composer.json File

Define dependencies in composer.json:

{
    "require": {
        "monolog/monolog": "^2.0"
    }
}

3. Installing Dependencies

Run the following to install dependencies:

composer install

This creates a vendor directory with your libraries.

4. Autoloading

Use Composer’s autoloader to include classes automatically:

require 'vendor/autoload.php';
use Monolog\Logger;
$log = new Logger('name');

Conclusion

Composer streamlines dependency management, making it easier to maintain and scale PHP projects. Integrate it into your workflow for efficient development.