Terms starting with "E"
Eventual Consistency
PHP 5.0+ A consistency model where replicas may diverge temporarily but converge to the same value given no new writes — trading immediacy for availability.
6mo ago
Architecture intermediate
Exception Hierarchy & Custom Exceptions
PHP 5.0+
Defining domain-specific exception classes that extend SPL exceptions provides semantic meaning and enables granular catch blocks.
6mo ago
PHP intermediate
Excessive File I/O
PHP 5.0+
Reading the same file multiple times inside a loop or across repeated calls — avoidable with simple in-memory caching.
6mo ago
Performance intermediate
EXPLAIN & Query Plans
PHP 5.0+
EXPLAIN (ANALYZE) reveals how the database executes a query — sequential scans, index scans, join strategies — to guide optimisation.
6mo ago
Database intermediate
EXPLAIN ANALYZE
PHP 5.0+ The database command that shows the actual execution plan of a query — revealing sequential scans, missing indexes, and row estimate errors that cause slow performance.
6mo ago
Database advanced
extract() — Dangerous Variable Injection
PHP 4.0+
5
extract() creates local variables from an array, allowing attackers to overwrite existing variables if input is unsanitised.
CWE-621 OWASP A3:2021
6mo ago
PHP beginner
9.8
Early Return Pattern
3
Exit a function as soon as the result is known rather than carrying state through the rest of the function body.
7mo ago
Style beginner
Exception Handling (try/catch/finally)
PHP 5.0+
3
PHP's structured error handling mechanism that separates error-path code from the happy path and ensures resource cleanup.
7mo ago
PHP intermediate