Attributes in PHP 8: Metadata in the Language, Not in Docblocks
summary
PHP 8 adds real metadata via attributes (expanded in 8.1) that replace docblocks with machine‑readable classes, accessed through reflection APIs like getAttributes and instantiated via reflectionAttribute->newInstance; core and extension attributes (for example SensitiveParameter, AllowDynamicProperties, Override) change runtime behavior, Doctrine and Symfony already map ORM and routing to attributes, and a composer attribute collector plugin solves scanning limits; the feature lands after seven RFCs and a decade of work and ships viable, in‑use tooling.
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