The [Microsoft Drivers for PHP for Microsoft SQL Server][phpdoc] are PHP extensions that allow for the reading and writing of SQL Server data from within PHP scripts. The SQLSRV extension provides a procedural interface while the PDO_SQLSRV extension implements PHP Data Objects (PDO) for accessing data in all editions of SQL Server 2012 and later (including Azure SQL DB). These drivers rely on the [Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server][odbcdoc] to handle the low-level communication with SQL Server.
This release contains the SQLSRV and PDO_SQLSRV drivers for PHP 7.3+ with improvements on both drivers and some limitations. Upcoming [releases][releases] will contain additional functionalities, bug fixes, and more.
Thank you for taking the time to participate in the [sentiment survey](https://github.com/microsoft/msphpsql/wiki/Survey-Results). You can continue to help us improve by letting us know how we are doing and how you use [PHP][phpweb]:
For full details on the system requirements for the drivers, see the [system requirements](https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/connect/php/system-requirements-for-the-php-sql-driver) on Microsoft Docs.
The drivers are distributed as pre-compiled extensions for PHP found on the [releases page][releases]. They are available in thread-safe and non-thread-safe versions, and in 32-bit (Windows only) and 64-bit versions. The source code for the drivers is also available, and you can compile them as thread safe or non-thread-safe versions. The thread safety configuration of your web server will determine which version you need.
If you choose to build the drivers, you must be able to build PHP 7.* or 8.* without including these extensions. For help building PHP on Windows, see the [official PHP website][phpbuild]. For details on compiling the drivers, see the [documentation](https://github.com/microsoft/msphpsql/blob/master/buildscripts/README.md) -- an example buildscript is provided, but you can also compile the drivers manually.
To load the drivers, make sure that the driver is in your PHP extension directory and enable it in your PHP installation's php.ini file by adding `extension=php_sqlsrv.dll` and/or `extension=php_pdo_sqlsrv.dll` to the ini file. If necessary, specify the extension directory using `extension_dir`, for example: `extension_dir = "C:\PHP\ext"`. Note that the precompiled binaries have different names -- substitute accordingly in php.ini. For more details on loading the drivers, see [Loading the PHP SQL Driver](https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/connect/php/loading-the-php-sql-driver) on Microsoft Docs.
For full instructions on installing the drivers on all supported Unix platforms, see [the installation instructions on Microsoft Docs][unixinstructions].
For PHP code samples, please see the [sample](https://github.com/Microsoft/msphpsql/tree/master/sample) folder or the [code samples on Microsoft Docs](https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/connect/php/code-samples-for-php-sql-driver). For information on how to use the driver, see [Microsoft Drivers for PHP for Microsoft SQL Server][phpdoc].
- Pre-release version is denoted by a hyphen followed by `beta` or `RC` followed by a number. Production quality releases do not contain the pre-release version. `beta` has lower precedence than `RC`. Note that the PECL package version numbers do not have the hyphen before the pre-release version, owing to restrictions in PECL. An example of a PECL package version is `5.9.0beta2`.
- Build metadata may be denoted by a plus sign followed by a number of digits, such as `5.9.0-beta2+13930`. Build metadata does not affect the precedence order.
**A:** At this time, Microsoft is not able to announce dates. We are working hard to release future versions of the driver and will share future plans as appropriate.
This project has adopted the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct. For more information see the Code of Conduct FAQ or contact opencode@microsoft.com with any additional questions or comments.
