PackageVersions Deprecated
A Composer addon providing efficient access to installed packages' version numbers with Composer 1 and 2 compatibility.
What is PackageVersions Deprecated?
Package Versions is a Composer addon that provides efficient runtime access to version numbers of installed PHP packages. It solves the problem of retrieving package versions programmatically while maintaining compatibility with both Composer 1 and Composer 2 on PHP 7+ environments. The project serves as a transitional solution for developers who need Composer 2 support but cannot yet upgrade to PHP 7.4.
PHP developers working with Composer dependency management who need to access package versions at runtime and are transitioning from Composer 1 to Composer 2 or maintaining legacy PHP 7+ applications.
Developers choose this package because it provides a fully-compatible drop-in replacement for ocramius/package-versions with extended Composer 2 support, enabling seamless tooling upgrades without breaking existing code while offering a clear migration path to Composer's native functionality.
Overview
:package: Composer addon to efficiently get installed packages' version numbers
Use Cases
Best For
- Retrieving installed package versions at runtime in PHP applications
- Maintaining compatibility when migrating from Composer 1 to Composer 2
- Projects that depend on ocramius/package-versions but need Composer 2 support
- Legacy PHP 7+ applications that cannot yet upgrade to PHP 7.4
- Providing a migration path to Composer's built-in InstalledVersions class
- Temporary solutions while planning full dependency management upgrades
Not Ideal For
- New PHP projects starting with Composer 2 and PHP 7.4+ that can use Composer\InstalledVersions natively
- Applications that have already completed migration to Composer's runtime API and removed ocramius/package-versions dependencies
- Teams requiring long-term package support and active maintenance, as this package is explicitly deprecated and EOL
Pros & Cons
Pros
Supports both Composer 1 and Composer 2 on PHP 7+, enabling seamless upgrades without breaking existing code, as highlighted in the README.
Fully compatible with ocramius/package-versions, allowing projects to switch with zero code changes for immediate Composer 2 adoption.
Provides a clear path to transition to Composer's built-in InstalledVersions class, as recommended in the README for long-term sustainability.
Enables efficient retrieval of installed package versions at runtime, solving a common need in PHP applications for version tracking.
Cons
Explicitly marked as EOL and deprecated, meaning no future updates, bug fixes, or security patches, posing a risk for production use.
Intended only as a stopgap measure, encouraging dependency on a package that should be removed, potentially leading to technical debt if not migrated promptly.
Focused solely on version retrieval without additional features, missing out on broader dependency management capabilities in modern Composer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
Prestissimocomposer parallel install plugin
Symfony-FlexComposer plugin for Symfony
PackageVersions:package: Composer addon to efficiently get installed packages' version numbers
Composer-PatchesSimple patches plugin for Composer
Found a gem we're missing?
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.