Facebook's HipHop Boosts PHP

Mark Facebook as the latest entrant in the parade of large, mainstream companies releasing powerful, once-proprietary software systems for open source development, with its release of HipHop for PHP, a source code transformer that boosts PHP performance.

According to Facebook senior server engineer Haiping Zhao, HipHop, while not fully mature, has cut the social networking giant's CPU usage by half.

"The project has had a tremendous impact on Facebook," Zhao said. "We feel the web at large can benefit from HipHop, so we are releasing it as open source … in hope that it brings a new focus toward scaling large, complex [websites] with PHP."

Zhao says that HipHop is not a compiler, but a code transformer that reworks the PHP runtime, along with a rewrite of extensions to optimize performance.

"HipHop programmatically transforms your PHP source code into highly optimized C++ and then uses g++ to compile it," Zhao said. "HipHop executes the source code in a semantically equivalent manner and sacrifices some rarely used features — such as eval() — in exchange for improved performance."

While PHP offers many developmental benefits, CPU efficiency and memory usage have always been issues.

"Because of this, it's been challenging to scale Facebook to over 400 billion PHP-based page views every month," Zhao said, noting that HipHop allows developers to enjoy the benefits of PHP along with the performance of C++.

You can learn more about what HipHop can do for your at the Facebook Developer's Blog.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

profile

Chaturbate's Emely Zuniga Talks Show Floor Magic and Creator Care

During industry events, you’ll likely find Zuniga gliding through the room, greeting creators, checking details and making sure everyone around her feels taken care of. With her colorful red hair, perfectly done nails and an easygoing, “work bestie” demeanor that instantly puts people at ease, she thrives in the fast-paced environment of conferences and trade shows.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

What to Know About Deepfakes, Likeness Rights, and Digital Consent

AI is reshaping virtually every sector of the global economy, and the adult industry is no exception. Many adult companies have already explored or adopted AI in content production, and surveys indicate that around 65% have considered implementing AI technologies in their operations.

Christoph Hermes ·
opinion

Key Strategies for Adapting to Stricter PCI Compliance Standards

When it comes to PCI compliance, the days of simply filling out some paperwork and answering a few questions are gone. A casual approach is just not viable anymore.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

How to Maximize Value From Your Payment Processing Fees

Regulatory requirements are putting more and more pressure on the adult industry. To stay compliant, merchants need tools that help with content moderation, age verification and fraud solutions. Unfortunately, the fees for those tools are hitting merchants’ bottom lines — including fees charged by payment services providers.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Understanding Sin Taxes and the Legal Roadblocks Ahead

As of this writing, a bill sits on the desk of Utah’s governor, awaiting his signature to make it state law. That bill includes a provision imposing an excise tax of 2% on adult sites operating in the state.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
profile

LoyalFans' Anastasia Pierce Bridges Creator Education, Empowerment and Ownership

Anastasia Pierce beams when she talks about her 26 years in the industry. Full of passionate energy, she clearly doesn’t just work in adult; she loves it.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Growing Site Revenue Under Ever-Changing Compliance Rules

Over the past year, many merchants have reported earnings that were flat or even a bit down. This is due to three main factors: age verification regulations, click-to-cancel rules, and banks backing away from cross-sales due to regulatory requirements and the rollout of the Visa Acquiring Monitoring Program (VAMP).

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

AI Safeguards for Platform Compliance and Trust

If your platform hosts user-generated content (UGC), then you already know protecting your brand is not merely a matter of good design or strong community guidelines. It requires systems that can verify who your users are, filter what they upload and ensure your business stays on the right side of regulators, payment processors and public opinion.

Christoph Hermes ·
opinion

How to Eliminate User Redirects and Improve Checkout Retention

Running an adult site, you work hard to create traffic and make sure your funnel is optimal, with the end goal of getting users to make a purchase. Then, right at that critical moment, what do you do? You send them somewhere else. Not good.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

Stripchat's Jessica on Building Creator Success, One Step at a Time

At most industry events, the spotlight naturally falls on the creators whose personalities light up screens and social feeds. Behind the booths, parties and perfectly timed photo ops, however, there is someone else shaping the experience.

Jackie Backman ·
Show More