How to use the command 'phar' (with examples)

The ‘phar’ command is used to create, update, or extract PHP archives, known as Phar files. Phar files are an efficient way to package PHP applications or libraries into a single file for distribution or deployment. The ‘phar’ command provides various operations to manipulate and work with Phar files.

Use Case 1: Add files or directories to a Phar file

Code:

phar add -f path/to/phar_file files_or_directories

Motivation: You want to add multiple files or directories to a Phar file.

Explanation:

• phar add: This subcommand is used to add files or directories to a Phar file.
• -f path/to/phar_file: Specifies the path to the Phar file where the files will be added.
• files_or_directories: Space-separated list of files or directories to be added to the Phar file.

Example Output:

Added file1.php to phar_file.
Added directory1 to phar_file.
Added directory2/file2.php to phar_file.

Use Case 2: Display the contents of a Phar file

Code:

phar list -f path/to/phar_file

Motivation: You want to view the contents of a Phar file.

Explanation:

• phar list: This subcommand is used to display the contents of a Phar file.
• -f path/to/phar_file: Specifies the path to the Phar file whose contents will be displayed.

Example Output:

file1.php
directory1/
directory2/

Use Case 3: Delete a file or directory from a Phar file

Code:

phar delete -f path/to/phar_file -e file_or_directory

Motivation: You want to remove a specific file or directory from a Phar file.

Explanation:

• phar delete: This subcommand is used to delete a file or directory from a Phar file.
• -f path/to/phar_file: Specifies the path to the Phar file from which the file or directory will be deleted.
• -e file_or_directory: Specifies the file or directory to be deleted from the Phar file.

Example Output:

Deleted file1.php from phar_file.
Deleted directory1 from phar_file.

Use Case 4: Display full usage information and available hashing/compression algorithms

Code:

phar help

Motivation: You want to get detailed usage information about the ‘phar’ command and see the available hashing and compression algorithms.

Explanation:

• phar help: This subcommand displays full usage information and available hashing/compression algorithms supported by the ‘phar’ command.

Example Output:

Usage:
  phar [options] [command]

Commands:
  add         Add files or directories to a Phar file
  list        Display the contents of a Phar file
  delete      Delete a specified file or directory from a Phar file
  help        Display usage information and available algorithms
  compress    Compress or uncompress files and directories in a Phar file
  info        Get information about a Phar file
  sign        Sign a Phar file with a specific hash algorithm
  sign-openssl Sign a Phar file with an OpenSSL private key

...

Available Hashing Algorithms:
  md5
  sha1
  sha256

Available Compression Algorithms:
  bzip2
  zlib

...

Use Case 5: Compress or uncompress files and directories in a Phar file

Code:

phar compress -f path/to/phar_file -c algorithm

Motivation: You want to compress or uncompress files and directories within a Phar file.

Explanation:

• phar compress: This subcommand allows you to compress or uncompress files and directories in a Phar file.
• -f path/to/phar_file: Specifies the path to the Phar file where the compression or uncompression will be applied.
• -c algorithm: Specifies the compression algorithm to be used. Available compression algorithms are ‘bzip2’ and ‘zlib’.

Example Output:

Successfully compressed all files and directories using the 'bzip2' compression algorithm.

Use Case 6: Get information about a Phar file

Code:

phar info -f path/to/phar_file

Motivation: You want to obtain detailed information about a Phar file, such as its size, compression ratio, and metadata.

Explanation:

• phar info: This subcommand provides information about a Phar file.
• -f path/to/phar_file: Specifies the path to the Phar file you want to obtain information about.

Example Output:

File: path/to/phar_file
Size: 500KB
Compression Algorithm: bzip2
Metadata:
- Author: John Doe
- Version: 1.0.0

Use Case 7: Sign a Phar file with a specific hash algorithm

Code:

phar sign -f path/to/phar_file -h algorithm

Motivation: You want to sign a Phar file with a specific hash algorithm to ensure its integrity and authenticity.

Explanation:

• phar sign: This subcommand is used to sign a Phar file with a specific hash algorithm.
• -f path/to/phar_file: Specifies the path to the Phar file to be signed.
• -h algorithm: Specifies the hash algorithm to be used for signing. Available hash algorithms are ‘md5’, ‘sha1’, and ‘sha256’.

Example Output:

Successfully signed the Phar file with the 'sha256' hash algorithm.

Use Case 8: Sign a Phar file with an OpenSSL private key

Code:

phar sign -f path/to/phar_file -h openssl -y path/to/private_key

Motivation: You want to sign a Phar file using an OpenSSL private key for enhanced security.

Explanation:

• phar sign: This subcommand allows you to sign a Phar file using an OpenSSL private key.
• -f path/to/phar_file: Specifies the path to the Phar file to be signed.
• -h openssl: Specifies the hash algorithm to be used, which is OpenSSL.
• -y path/to/private_key: Specifies the path to the private key file used for signing the Phar file.

Example Output:

Successfully signed the Phar file using the provided OpenSSL private key.

Conclusion:

In this article, we explored various use cases of the ‘phar’ command for working with Phar files. You learned how to add files or directories, view the contents, delete specific items, compress or uncompress files, obtain information, and sign Phar files using different algorithms. The ‘phar’ command offers a comprehensive set of operations to manage and manipulate Phar files efficiently.