PHP Semantic version check?

[cafferata]

Based on #4 we have done a migration from .php-version to Composer config.platform.php. In almost all cases 8.0 (major & minor) applies, however in some projects we have run into the problem that the Composer resolvement requires also a patch version. Below is an example case.

mkdir symfony-cli && cd symfony-cli

composer init

composer require "symfony/deprecation-contracts:3.0.2"
composer config platform.php "8.0"
composer update --lock

Loading composer repositories with package information
Updating dependencies
Your requirements could not be resolved to an installable set of packages.

  Problem 1
    - Root composer.json requires symfony/deprecation-contracts == 3.0.2.0 -> satisfiable by symfony/deprecation-contracts[v3.0.2].
    - symfony/deprecation-contracts v3.0.2 requires php >=8.0.2 -> your php version (8.0; overridden via config.platform, actual: 8.0.27) does not satisfy that requirement.

unable to run /usr/local/bin/composer update --lock

The Composer package symphony/deprecation-contracts requires 8.0.2 or later. Fine you would think. So we enter 8.0.10 (or higher).

composer config platform.php "8.0.10"
composer update --lock

Loading composer repositories with package information
Updating dependencies
Nothing to modify in lock file
Writing lock file
Installing dependencies from lock file (including require-dev)
Nothing to install, update or remove
Generating autoload files
1 package you are using is looking for funding.
Use the `composer fund` command to find out more!

Hurrah! Composer successfully applies the resolutions.

From a random CLI (without .php-version and/or Composer config platform php configuration).

php -v

PHP 8.2.1 (cli) (built: Jan 16 2023 14:21:10) (NTS)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.2.1, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v8.2.1, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

Then we ask Symfony CLI if it can tell us which PHP version we are running in a directory containing Composer config platform php.

php -v
WARNING the current dir requires PHP 8.0.10 (composer.json from current dir: ./symfony-cli/composer.json), but this version is not available
PHP 8.2.1 (cli) (built: Jan 16 2023 14:21:10) (NTS)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.2.1, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v8.2.1, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

This is not what I expect, I expect to stay in the PHP minor range. In this specific case 8.0.27.

symfony local:php:list

+---------+------------------------------------+---------+--------------+-------------+---------+---------+
| Version |             Directory              |   PHP   |     PHP      |     PHP     | Server  | System? |
|         |                                    |   CLI   |     FPM      |     CGI     |         |         |
+---------+------------------------------------+---------+--------------+-------------+---------+---------+
| 8.0.27  | /usr/local/Cellar/php@8.0/8.0.27_1 | bin/php | sbin/php-fpm | bin/php-cgi | PHP FPM |         |
| 8.1.14  | /usr/local/Cellar/php@8.1/8.1.14_1 | bin/php | sbin/php-fpm | bin/php-cgi | PHP FPM |         |
| 8.2.1   | /usr/local/Cellar/php/8.2.1_1      | bin/php | sbin/php-fpm | bin/php-cgi | PHP FPM |         |
+---------+------------------------------------+---------+--------------+-------------+---------+---------+

The current PHP version is selected from composer.json from current dir: /Users/jeffrey/Documents/symfony-cli/composer.json

To control the version used in a directory, create a .php-version file that contains the version number (e.g. 7.2 or 7.2.15),
or define config.platform.php inside composer.json.
If you're using Platform.sh, the version can also be specified in the .platform.app.yaml file.

If we use a PHP version that is present, then everything works properly.

composer config platform.php "8.0.27"
composer update --lock

php -v

PHP 8.0.27 (cli) (built: Jan 16 2023 18:14:33) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.0.27, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v8.0.27, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

What I've found so far is that the function bestVersion() does a HasPrefix() check. Based on the values 8.0.10 and my current PHP version 8.0.27 I do understand the error message.

phpstore/store.go

Lines 143 to 153 in fe41b32

	func (s *PHPStore) bestVersion(versionPrefix, source string) (*Version, string, string, error) {
	// start from the end as versions are always sorted
	for i := len(s.versions) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
	v := s.versions[i]
	if v.Version == versionPrefix || strings.HasPrefix(v.Version, versionPrefix) {
	return v, source, "", nil
	}
	}
	return s.fallbackVersion(fmt.Sprintf(`the current dir requires PHP %s (%s), but this version is not available`, versionPrefix, source))
	}

What could work?
Have the bestVersion() function do a semantic version check.

[tucksaun]

Hi there,

Setting the PHP version inside the composer.json in the config.platform is not the only or main/recommended way to select your PHP version to be used by Symfony CLI so you can also stick with the .php-version if it better suits your needs, that is totally okay 😃

Now, that being said, you are right: the selection process could be improved here.
But we can't do "proper" semantic versioning as one would not have any operator to define the policy they want to apply.
And as PHP minor versions contain breaking changes from time to time we can not implement a default semver policy either.

We could however implement a tweak where we select the version immediately if the exact same one is available.
If no exact match is found then we pick the next "best" one on the list (the highest patch number with the same major and minor) issuing a warning.

@fabpot would you be ok with this logic?

[cafferata]

Friendly ping @fabpot, cc: @tucksaun.

[fabpot]

@tucksaun That would work for me.