There's actually a not-too-terrible talk going over some of the challenges of compiling PHP, and how initial promising gains turn out to be very difficult (as O

There's actually a not-too-terrible talk going over some of the challenges of compiling PHP, and how initial promising gains turn out to be very difficult (as OP said) to maintain as you try to encompass the full language. Some great examples of disappointments and challenges! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKySEUrP7LA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKySEUrP7LA