Composer

PHP Composer is the de facto standard dependency manager for PHP. It allows developers to declare the libraries their project depends on and it will install and manage them, ensuring consistent package versions and resolving complex dependency trees. Composer also handles autoloading for these…

Key facts

First appeared
2012
Category
technology
Problem solved
PHP Composer was created to solve the 'dependency hell' problem prevalent in PHP development, where managing external libraries and their specific versions within a project was cumbersome and prone to conflicts. It provides a robust, standardized way to declare project dependencies, resolve conflicting requirements, and automate the installation and autoloading of necessary code, moving beyond the limitations of PEAR.
Platforms
macOS, Windows, Linux

Related technologies

Notable users

  • Laravel
  • Many companies utilizing PHP for web applications
  • Zend Framework (Laminas Project)
  • Drupal
  • All modern PHP projects and frameworks
  • Symfony
  • WordPress
  • Magento