PHPToJS

10.3.0 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript maintenance

PHP-to-JavaScript transpiler that converts PHP code into JavaScript code. Version 10.3.0 is the latest stable release, with irregular release cadence. It supports a subset of PHP syntax, including classes, closures, and namespaces, but does not target full PHP compatibility. Key differentiators include the ability to run PHP code in the browser without a server, and integration with the Uniter project. However, it is not actively maintained and has known limitations with newer PHP features.

Common errors

error TypeError: phptojs is not a function ↓

cause In v10, PHPToJS is a class, not a function. Calling it without `new` throws.

fix

Use const engine = new PHPToJS(); const result = engine.transpile(code);

error Cannot find module 'php-parser' ↓

cause Missing optional dependency `php-parser` which is required at runtime.

fix

Run npm install php-parser alongside phptojs.

error Error: Unsupported PHP feature: match expression ↓

cause PHP match expressions (>=8.0) are not supported in the transpiler.

fix

Use if/elseif or switch statements instead.

Warnings

breaking In v10, the default export changed from a function to a class. Use `new PHPToJS()` instead of calling `PHPToJS()` directly. ↓

fix Replace `const result = phptojs(code)` with `const engine = new PHPToJS(); const result = engine.transpile(code)`.

deprecated The `render` method is deprecated in favor of `transpile`. ↓

fix Replace `.render()` with `.transpile()`.

breaking In v9, the library used a synchronous API. v10 changed to asynchronous transpilation for large files. ↓

fix Use `await engine.transpile(code)` or handle promises.

gotcha PHP short echo tags `<?=` are not supported before PHP 7.4. Use `<?php echo` instead. ↓

fix Replace `<?=` with `<?php echo` in your PHP source.

gotcha Namespaces are partially supported; relative imports may fail. ↓

fix Use fully qualified namespaces where possible.

Install

npm install phptojs

yarn add phptojs

pnpm add phptojs

Imports

PHPToJS
wrong
```
const PHPToJS = require('phptojs').default;
```
correct
```
import PHPToJS from 'phptojs';
```
Default export; CommonJS require does not need .default if using esModuleInterop.

transpile

wrong

const { transpile } = require('phptojs').transpile;

correct

import { transpile } from 'phptojs';

Named export available since v10.

PHPToJSEngine

wrong

const PHPToJSEngine = require('phptojs').Engine;

correct

import PHPToJSEngine from 'phptojs/lib/Engine';

Internal class; path may change between minor versions.

Quickstart

Transpile a simple PHP function to JavaScript.

import PHPToJS from 'phptojs';

const phptojs = new PHPToJS();
const phpCode = `<?php
function hello($name) {
    return 'Hello, ' . $name . '!';
}
echo hello('world');
?>`;
const jsCode = phptojs.transpile(phpCode);
console.log(jsCode);