Modern PHP Syntax

PHP 7/8 added concise syntax that can improve intent when not overcompressed.

Practical example

<?php
$name = $input['name'] ?? 'Anonymous';
$upper = array_map(fn(string $value): string => strtoupper($value), $names);
$country = $user?->address?->country;
$service = new Service(logger: $logger, timeout: 5);

Arrow functions capture outer values by value. Nullsafe access yields null but can hide missing required state, so use it only for genuinely optional chains. Named arguments couple callers to parameter names. Promotion works best with validation and readonly dependencies.