Deriving Modernity Signatures for PHP Systems with Static Analysis

Abstract

The PHP language has undergone many changes in its syntax and grammar, with respect to both features the language has to offer as well as the distribution of language features used by programmers in their projects. We present a novel method of using grammar usage statistics to calculate a modernity signature for a PHP system, so that we can determine its age. The system will aid developers in choosing whether or not to execute or use a PHP system, without having to perform an extensive inspection.