📦 PHP PEAR – PHP Extension and Application Repository

Explore PHP PEAR, the original package manager and reusable code library system for PHP, including how it works, what it’s used for, and how it compares to modern tools like Composer.

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🧲 Introduction – What Is PHP PEAR?

PEAR stands for PHP Extension and Application Repository. It was introduced in the early 2000s as a framework and distribution system for reusable PHP components. PEAR provides tools for package management, installation, and auto-loading, similar to how Composer works today.

🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What PEAR is and how it works
• PEAR’s components and package system
• How to install and use PEAR packages
• When to use PEAR (and when not to)

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📦 What Is PHP PEAR?

PEAR is a library repository and a package manager for PHP. It was created to:

• Promote code reuse through centralized libraries
• Offer a standard for PHP packages
• Enable easy package installation and updates via command-line tools

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📁 PEAR Structure

Component	Description
pear	Command-line tool for installing/managing packages
PEAR Channel	A server that distributes packages
Package Files	.tgz archives with PHP libraries and metadata

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⚙️ Installing PEAR

✅ Check if PEAR is already installed:

pear version

✅ If not installed:

On Linux:

sudo apt install php-pear

On macOS (with Homebrew + PHP):

brew install php

📌 PEAR may already be bundled with PHP installations on some systems

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📥 Installing a PEAR Package

Use the command-line interface:

pear install <package-name>

✅ Example:

pear install Mail

📌 This installs the PEAR Mail class for sending emails.

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🔎 Finding PEAR Packages

Browse:
🔗 https://pear.php.net/packages.php

Popular packages include:

• Mail – Send emails
• Auth – User authentication
• DB – Database abstraction
• HTML_QuickForm – Form building utilities

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🧰 Using a PEAR Package in Your Code

require_once "Mail.php";

$mail = Mail::factory("smtp", [...]);
$mail->send("to@example.com", $headers, $body);

✅ PEAR packages use a class-based structure and a global require_once approach

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🆚 PEAR vs Composer

Feature	PEAR	Composer
📦 Scope	Global (system-wide)	Project-specific (local vendor/)
🔄 Dependency Mgmt	Weak dependency resolution	Powerful dependency handling
🔌 Modern Support	Limited active packages	Widely adopted and maintained
📁 Autoloading	Manual or outdated	PSR-4 standard autoloading
🧰 Tools	CLI-based (pear command)	CLI-based (composer command)

📌 Use Composer for modern projects
📌 Use PEAR for legacy systems or when Composer is not available

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⚠️ Limitations of PEAR

• Fewer actively maintained packages today
• Limited support for modern autoloading (e.g., PSR-4)
• Harder to manage dependencies across multiple projects
• Global installation can lead to version conflicts

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📌 Summary – Recap & Next Steps

PEAR was the first formal package system for PHP, offering reusable libraries and tools for standardized development. While it has largely been replaced by Composer, PEAR remains relevant in legacy applications and certain environments.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• PEAR allows global installation of reusable PHP packages
• Use pear install to add Mail, Auth, DB, etc.
• Composer is the modern alternative for dependency management
• PEAR is still useful in older or system-wide PHP setups

⚙️ Real-World Use Cases:
Email handling (Mail), form validation, legacy CMS plugins, shared hosting utilities

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

❓ Is PEAR still supported in PHP?
✅ Yes, but it is no longer actively developed. Use for legacy compatibility.

❓ Should I use PEAR or Composer?
✅ Use Composer for all new projects. PEAR is for legacy or system-wide installs.

❓ Can I uninstall a PEAR package?
✅ Yes. Use pear uninstall <package-name>

❓ Does PEAR support namespaces and autoloading?
❌ No modern PSR autoloading. You need to require_once packages manually.

❓ Is it safe to use PEAR packages?
⚠️ Yes for trusted sources, but check when they were last updated. Many are outdated.

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