PHP 5.2 Released, Zend Optimizer Isn't Ready Yet

PHP has been upgraded to 5.2, and there are a few security fixes in place for 5.1.x users. I discovered after upgrading that the Zend Optimizer isn't quite ready for the upgrade. The Optimizer is required by anybody utilizing zend encoded scripts. If they only would have named the release 5.1.7, I'm sure we would all be in good shape, as other products like eAccelerator seem to be working fine.

Among the upgardes, are the inclusion of the JSON extension by default - which hopefully will encourage wider use of JSON by web developers - although that's probably just hopeful thinking on my part. I've been using the extension for all of a couple of days prior to the release, and there is a significant speed improvement over function-enabled JSON (to a factor of 2-3000 percent!)

Also on the plate are some minor upgrades to the MySQLi and PCRE libraries, and a new zip file extension which I hope to make use of in the near future.

When the Zend Optimizer comes around, I think I'll be releasing a new discussion forum for this site, as well as a Wiki, and two Movable Type plugins that I think are looking pretty snazzy at the moment. And soon after that, there should be a storm of other project releases, as I'm coming to the culmination of several different but interlinked projects, one of which I am dying to get underway as it should lay the foundation for several more software development efforts.

Keep your eyes out. I really want to get a bunch of things going before Thanksgiving so I can actually show off some of my work instead of talking about a bunch of theoreticals.

Now if I could only get Zend to promise me that they'll put out a release before the holiday...