PHP Application Maintenance & Upgrades

Many businesses rely on custom PHP applications that were built years ago and have since been passed between developers or left without proper technical oversight. Karl provides ongoing maintenance and upgrade services for business-critical PHP applications, including those built on CakePHP and Laravel, applying the same focused approach as his ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS work.

The problem with unmaintained PHP applications

PHP moves forward with regular version releases, and hosting providers eventually drop support for older versions. When that happens, a PHP application built on an outdated version can break without warning, taking business-critical functionality offline. Upgrading is not simply a case of changing a version number, deprecated functions, changed behaviour and framework compatibility all need careful handling and testing.

What this service includes:

• PHP version audits and upgrade planning to assess the current state of the application and map out what needs to change before a version upgrade can proceed.
• CakePHP and Laravel application upgrades including framework version updates and full compatibility testing.
• Resolving errors and deprecated function issues following server or PHP version changes made by a hosting provider.
• Ongoing maintenance and support for existing custom PHP codebases on a retainer basis.
• Server PHP version coordination with hosting providers to ensure upgrades are planned and tested before being applied.
• Taking over from previous developers and agencies, taking full ownership of the codebase going forward.

A recent example

A recent project involved taking on full responsibility for a business-critical parking permits management system built on CakePHP, upgrading the underlying PHP version and resolving all compatibility issues to bring the application up to date and ensure its long-term stability.

Common questions:

Do you work with any PHP application or only specific frameworks?

Karl works with CakePHP and Laravel applications, as well as custom PHP codebases that do not use a recognised framework. If you are unsure whether your application falls within scope, get in touch and Karl will give you a straightforward answer.

Can you take over a PHP application you did not build?

Yes. Karl takes time to understand the codebase properly before taking on ongoing responsibility for it. Most clients come with an existing application built by another developer or agency.

What if the application is on a very old version of PHP?

That is exactly the kind of situation Karl handles. Older PHP versions require careful upgrade planning to avoid breaking functionality. Karl will assess the application first and provide a clear picture of what is involved before any work begins.

Do you offer ongoing retainer arrangements for PHP applications?

Yes. Karl takes on a small number of PHP application clients on an ongoing retainer basis, providing the same level of continuity as his ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS maintenance clients.

How does this differ from your ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS services?

The approach is the same, focused on keeping existing business-critical applications running reliably rather than building new ones. The difference is that PHP application work covers custom codebases and frameworks rather than a specific CMS.