Two PHP document shapes
Compare a typed backend model with a mixed template
Load either specimen to inspect the two boundaries most likely to disappear in screenshots: modern type syntax and PHP-to-HTML transitions.
Typed ticket triage
A PHP 8 example with strict types, a namespace, a backed enum, readonly data, promoted properties, a match expression, an arrow function, and sorting.
Workshop schedule template
A mixed document that crosses between PHP tags and inline HTML while escaping dynamic strings, iterating over associative arrays, and using alternative control syntax.
Request-context snapshot
A .php file is source, not the response it may produce
A PHP file can define a class, handle a route, run as a command, or alternate between executable blocks and markup. PHP to PDF conversion records that source text; it does not send a request or capture generated HTML. Identify the filename, PHP release, framework layer, and entry point when context matters.
- Source extension
- .php
- Execution context
- CLI, PHP-FPM, Apache module, or framework
- Dependency context
- composer.json and autoloader — not embedded
- Possible document shape
- Pure PHP, inline HTML template, or command script
Server-side source on paper
Keep execution boundaries and data flow visible
PHP punctuation shifts meaning quickly: `$` marks variables, `->` accesses members, `=>` connects array keys and values, and backslashes qualify names. The PDF keeps the author’s layout and does not apply PHP-CS-Fixer or another formatter.
Show every language transition
Retain opening tags, closing tags when they are meaningful, short echo tags, and surrounding markup. In a template, line breaks around transitions help a reviewer separate executed PHP from literal output.
Shape arrays and fluent calls deliberately
Break nested arrays, named arguments, constructor promotion, and method chains by semantic unit. Aligning `=>` can help small tables, but avoid padding that makes a single long value force every row wider.
Keep namespace evidence near the top
Preserve `declare`, namespace, `use`, and alias statements when they affect the excerpt. A detached class is harder to interpret when imported interfaces, attributes, or exceptions have lost their qualified identity.
PHP submission profiles
Set the page for the layer under review
Backend classes and mixed templates have different width and context needs.
Domain or service class
Typed models, validation, repositories, and application services
- A4 or Letter
- 11–12 px text
- Line numbers on
- 2 cm margins
- Class and layer in title
A descriptive title restores architectural position while moderate spacing keeps types and branches legible.
Template-source appendix
View files, email templates, and PHP mixed with HTML
- Match report paper
- 10–11 px text
- Line numbers on
- 1.5 cm margins
- Template filename in title
Slightly denser pages accommodate markup without hiding the transitions that control dynamic output.
Version-reading guide
PHP syntax carries a visible release history
Source can reveal its minimum runtime without composer.json. State the expected version when typed declarations, enums, attributes, or newer operators appear.
- Personal Home Page Tools became public sourceThe official history traces PHP to Rasmus Lerdorf’s CGI tools and the June 1995 public release of their source.
- PHP 4 shipped with the Zend EnginePHP 4 arrived in May 2000 after a core rewrite aimed at more complex applications and a more modular implementation.
- Enums added a native modeling toolThe implemented enumerations RFC introduced unit and backed enums, which work naturally with match expressions.
- The language added forward-readable pipelinesReleased in November 2025, PHP 8.5 introduced the pipe operator alongside URI handling, clone-with syntax, and new attributes.
Source-versus-response boundary
The exported page documents code, not server output
The PHP to PDF tool makes the visible source stable and searchable. It cannot know which route reaches the file, what values a request supplies, which Composer packages load, or what HTML, JSON, image, email, or PDF a running application returns.
Preserved in the PDF
- PHP tags, namespaces, imports, functions, classes, traits, interfaces, enums, attributes, variables, arrays, and comments
- Inline HTML, alternative control syntax, heredoc and nowdoc spelling, strings, type declarations, and match arms
- Original line order and spacing as syntax-colored, selectable, searchable PDF text
- Selected document title, line numbers, page numbers, paper, theme, font size, and margins
Not part of this conversion
- PHP execution, HTTP requests, framework bootstrapping, route dispatch, session state, database queries, tests, or rendered output
- Composer dependency installation, autoload resolution, extensions, php.ini settings, environment variables, or web-server configuration
- Whole-project conversion for Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, Drupal, plugins, themes, or vendor directories
- Runtime PDF generation with Dompdf, mPDF, TCPDF, FPDF, wkhtmltopdf, browser automation, or a reporting API
PHP source preflight
Validate the program and the source artifact separately
Test the application in its real environment first; then inspect what the reviewer can infer from the detached pages.
- 01
Run the relevant tests and static analysis with the required PHP version, extensions, Composer lock file, and framework configuration.
- 02
Use the .php filename and architectural layer in the document title, and note the minimum PHP release for modern syntax.
- 03
Keep relevant namespace, imports, interface definitions, route notes, or template context with the excerpt.
- 04
Remove passwords, tokens, cookie values, personal data, private URLs, database credentials, and environment-specific paths.
- 05
Inspect arrays, chains, union types, attributes, docblocks, heredocs, and PHP/HTML boundaries for wrapping and page splits.
- 06
Open the download and confirm the filename, title, page sequence, line references, selectable variables, and searchable comments.
PHP file conversion questions
Direct answers about source files and generated output
How do I convert a PHP file to PDF?
Open one local .php file or paste its source, keep PHP selected, adjust the page options, inspect the preview, and download. This converts text without running the script.
What is a PHP file?
It is a text source file that may contain PHP instructions, declarations, and literal content outside PHP tags. A server or CLI interpreter normally executes it; this page only presents it.
How can I open a PHP file safely?
Use a text editor or IDE when you want to read the source. Opening it here reads the local text for formatting and does not start PHP, a web server, or the application.
Can this .php to PDF converter online render my webpage?
No. It shows template source, including inline HTML, rather than sending a request and capturing the rendered response. Use a browser-print or webpage-capture workflow for output.
Does it support modern PHP syntax?
It can display typed properties, unions, attributes, enums, match expressions, named arguments, readonly declarations, and newer operators. It does not validate version compatibility.
Can I convert a Laravel or WordPress project at once?
No. Choose one source file or a focused pasted excerpt. Projects also contain configuration, dependencies, templates, assets, and generated files that should remain in their normal repository structure.
Is this a free PHP PDF generator library?
No. The PHP to PDF converter free online formats PHP source. Libraries such as Dompdf or mPDF generate documents from inside a running application and serve a different intent.
PHP primary references
Official documentation behind the version notes
Language claims use official PHP documentation and RFC material.
Official history of PHP/FI, PHP 3, PHP 4, and Zend.
PHP ProjectPHP 8.5 Release AnnouncementRelease date and first-party overview of the pipe operator, URI extension, clone-with, and related changes.
PHP ManualPHP Type DeclarationsVersioned reference for parameter, return, property, union, intersection, and other declared types.
PHP WikiPHP Enumerations RFCImplemented proposal and rationale for unit and backed enums in PHP 8.1.