Symfony Station Communiqué — 17 March 2023. A look at Symfony, Drupal, PHP, Cybersecurity, and Fediverse news!
Tags: symfony, drupal, php, cybersecurity
Published: 2023-03-20 23:09:55

This communiqué [originally appeared on Symfony Station](https://www.symfonystation.com/Symfony-Station-Communique-14-March-2023), your source for cutting-edge Symfony, PHP, and Cybersecurity news.

Welcome to this week's Symfony Station Communiqué. It's your review of the essential news in the Symfony and PHP development communities focusing on protecting democracy. We also cover the cybersecurity world and the Fediverse.

Please take your time and enjoy the items most relevant and valuable to you. 

Thanks to Javier Eguiluz and Symfony for sharing [our latest communiqué](https://www.symfonystation.com/Symfony-Station-Communique-10-March-2023) in their [Week of Symfony](https://symfony.com/blog/a-week-of-symfony-845-6-12-march-2023).

**My opinions will be in bold. And will often involve profanity.**

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![Symfony logo](https://www.symfonystation.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Symfony-2.png)

## Symfony

As always, we will start with the official news from Symfony. Highlight -> “This week, the upcoming Symfony 6.3 version added features to create targeted value resolvers, to allow you to select the parser used in DomCrawler component, to support autowiring services as closures using attributes
and to improve Serializer performance.“

[A Week of Symfony #845 (6-12 March 2023)](https://symfony.com/blog/a-week-of-symfony-845-6-12-march-2023)

Symfony announced:

[SymfonyLive Berlin 2023 - SymfonyLive comes back to Germany on October 5-6!](https://symfony.com/blog/symfonylive-berlin-2023-symfonylive-comes-back-to-germany-on-october-5-6)

[SymfonyLive Paris 2023 - Only 7 days to go!](https://symfony.com/blog/symfonylive-paris-2023-only-7-days-to-go)

Blackfire has:

[The Power of Blackfire Alerting](https://blog.blackfire.io/the-power-of-blackfire-alerting.html)

SymfonyCasts start its second API Platform course, and it covers security.

[This week on SymfonyCasts](https://5hy9x.r.ag.d.sendibm3.com/mk/mr/PXNadKuGYMAM3Au4D6kprKVZxgGWC6sdTZPFuurXYkCDEFh9lnC6oQxxYX-vTlo-lJvJa1GAWGqcrUH0IbvXuwhsMN-cPFrumxllAZeulmEPNlLwwLuHSSQ668XzFVRU7ay8MUMlHXg)

---

## Featured Item

![Featured item graphic](https://symfonystation.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Featured-Item_1_0.png)

The Guardian opines that artificial intelligence in its current form is based on the wholesale appropriation of existing culture, and the notion that it is actually intelligent could be actively dangerous.

### **[The stupidity of AI](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/mar/16/the-stupidity-of-ai-artificial-intelligence-dall-e-chatgpt)**

---

### This Week

Riya Joshi explores:

[Manipulating a Large CSV File with Symfony, JS, and Python](https://medium.com/simform-engineering/manipulating-alarge-csv-file-with-symfony-js-and-python-92d962329446)

Stefano Alletti shares a:

[Step-by-step Guide to use Auth0 with Symfony 6](https://medium.com/@stefanoalletti_40357/step-by-step-guide-to-use-auth0-with-symfony-6-9a4e6de5152e)

Ozan Akman examines:

[Programming paradigms: Which framework is better?](https://medium.com/@ozanakman/programming-paradigms-which-framework-is-better-laravel-or-symfony-django-or-flask-ffa3e8d9ae8f)

Jessica Kuijer looks at:

[Symfony Chatbot with Chat-GPT (and other APIs...)](https://dev.to/jessicakuijer/symfony-chatbot-with-chat-gpt-and-other-apis-2ce3)

**I don’t know why you would want to do this, but here’s how.**

Jarosław Szutkowski explores:

[Behat: The Easy and Effective Way to Write Acceptance Tests](https://dev.to/jszutkowski/behat-the-easy-and-effective-way-to-write-acceptance-tests-cm4)

Nacho Colomina Torregrosa examines:

[Using PHP anonymous classes to test collection services](https://dev.to/icolomina/using-php-anonymous-classes-to-test-collection-services-4i4a)

Jérôme Tamarelle shares:

[Rendering Twig templates in Storybook](https://dev.to/gromnan/storybook-with-server-side-twig-components-easy-43ii)

**Great stuff here.**

Speaking of Twig, this is an interesting project from Wynton Franklin:

[Building a Time Off System](https://medium.com/@wynton.franklin/building-a-time-off-system-d9f7400ce660)

### CMSs

And speaking of Storybook, Diffy explores:

[Drupal And Design Systems](https://diffy.website/blog/drupal-design-systems)

Drupal shares:

[Lupus Decoupled Drupal](https://www.drupal.org/project/lupus_decoupled)

[Nominations are now open for the 2023 Aaron Winborn Award](https://www.drupal.org/community/cwg/blog/nominations-are-now-open-for-the-2023-aaron-winborn-award)

And needs your help with this:

[Survey: Module Project Pages on Drupal.org](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-AeDjafdE1xPRzbdHFMT_ve3TlteGOIL8Zr9xOOyGUK9Zwg/viewform)

And most importantly:

[DrupalCon Pittsburgh 2023 Schedule](https://events.drupal.org/pittsburgh2023/schedule)

Jacob Rockowitz explores:

[Providing JSON:API and GraphQL support for the Schema.org Blueprints module](https://www.jrockowitz.com/blog/schemadotorg-apis)

Specbee examines:

[Mastering Drupal 9 Layout Builder: A Comprehensive Guide to Effortlessly Customize Your Website's Design](https://www.specbee.com/blogs/drupal-9-layout-builder-customize-your-websites-design)

**[My recent article](https://www.symfonystation.com/Drupal-Path-Growth) shared some critiques of Drupal’s development, but the work on the frontend is an exception. Great strides have been made in the last year to modernize it.**

And this is an effort that is similar to the one I propose in my article:

[The Drupal Association Supports ICFOSS/Zyxware Back-to-work Programme](https://www.drupal.org/association/blog/the-drupal-association-supports-icfosszyxware-back-to-work-programme)

Mike Herchel shares:

[Creating Your First Single Directory Component within Drupal](https://herchel.com/articles/creating-your-first-single-directory-component-within-drupal)

**And after automatic updates and starter themes, this is the most exciting development upcoming in Drupal 10.**

Aten Design Group looks at:

[Everything You Want to Know About Backdrop CMS But Are Afraid To Ask](https://atendesigngroup.com/webinar/everything-you-want-know-about-backdrop-cms-are-afraid-ask)

### Previous Weeks

Sylvain Fabre explores a:

[Proprietary PHP framework migration to Symfony](https://tech.assoconnect.com/a-migration-tale-from-our-custom-php-framework-to-symfony)

Ulrich shares:

[Manage Elasticsearch indices with elasticsearch-php library](https://www.mon-code.net/post/168/manage-elasticsearch-indices-with-elasticsearch-php-library)

[Index document in Elasticsearch using elasticsearch-php](https://www.mon-code.net/post/169/index-document-in-elasticsearch-using-php-library-elasticsearch-php)

![PHP logo](https://symfonystation.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/php-logo_4.png)

## PHP

### This Week

Jetbrains announces:

[PhpStorm 2022.3.3 is now available](https://blog.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/2023/03/phpstorm-2022-3-3-is-now-available/)

Regular readers know Jason Knight is one of my favorite writers and a kindred spirit.

He has this spectacularly entertaining case study:

[New Client’s Website Had Some Interesting “Problems”](https://deathshadow.medium.com/new-clients-website-had-some-interesting-problems-faaba7755e08)

The WP Minute is:

[Digging Into the WordPress Block Protocol Plugin](https://thewpminute.com/digging-into-the-wordpress-block-protocol-plugin/)

**I love the Block Protocol initiative and hope it can integrate with Gutenberg as tightly as possible.**

Jorge Castro looks at:

[Using ORM in PHP without a framework](https://medium.com/cook-php/using-orm-in-php-without-a-framework-d01040a85ade)

This got a lot of love on Mastodon this week.

Moslem Deris explores:

[Mastering Strategy Pattern in PHP: 2 Real-World Use Cases](https://medium.com/@moslem.deris/mastering-strategy-pattern-in-php-2-real-world-use-cases-1268000133cd)

Aminul Islam Sarker examines:

[Designing PHP Applications Like a Pro: Leveraging the Power of Design Patterns for Optimal Code](https://aminshamim.xyz/designing-php-applications-like-a-pro-leveraging-the-power-of-design-patterns-for-optimal-code-9a58f723835a)

Freek.dev has:

[Discovering PHP's first-class callable syntax](https://freek.dev/2458-discovering-phps-first-class-callable-syntax)

Matt Glaman updates us on:

[PHPStan's new @not-deprecated annotation](https://mglaman.dev/blog/phpstans-new-not-deprecated-annotation)

Claudio Riberio shares a:

[Quick Tip: How to Get the Current Date in PHP](https://www.sitepoint.com/php-get-current-date/?utm_source=rss)

And Andy Blum has this nifty little tool:

[PHP DateTime Cookbook](https://andy-blum.github.io/php-date/)

Alp Emre asks:

[Do you want to rid of the long and complicated “If Else”?](https://alpemre.medium.com/do-you-want-to-rid-of-the-long-and-complicated-if-else-c943b2abfc03)

**God, I hate gifs.**

Ryan Chandler has this interesting article on Foreign Function Interface:

[Blazingly Fast Markdown Parsing in PHP using FFI and Rust](https://ryangjchandler.co.uk/posts/blazingly-fast-markdown-parsing-in-php-using-ffi-and-rust)

Farhan Tanvir is back with another:

[7 Useful PHP Libraries You Should Use in Your Next Project](https://medium.com/geekculture/7-useful-php-libraries-you-should-use-in-your-next-project-24db4c2a0adf)

**How many libraries can you use in a project?**

Honey Badger has:

[Reducing Errors With Type Hinting in PHP](https://dev.to/honeybadger/reducing-errors-with-type-hinting-in-php-33lo)

Daniil Bazhenov shows us:

[How to Develop a Simple Web Application Using Docker-compose, Nginx, PHP 8, and MongoDB 6](https://dev.to/dbazhenov/how-to-develop-a-simple-web-application-using-docker-compose-nginx-php-8-and-mongodb-6-nhi)

One of my Mastodon buddies, Grant Horwood, explores:

[writing command line scripts in php: part 5; styling output text](https://dev.to/gbhorwood/writing-command-line-scripts-in-php-part-5-styling-output-text-1bcp)

Nico Mercado looks at why WordPress is moving forward the way it is, and why it’s having success.

[The elePHPant in the room: Wordpress](https://medium.com/@aeropuertomc/the-elephpant-in-the-room-wordpress-77dea35d5d94)

Hayden James explores:

[Monitoring PHP Performance and Diagnosing Bottlenecks](https://haydenjames.io/monitoring-php-performance-diagnosing-bottlenecks/)

Cool Fellow examines:

[Self and Static in PHP and their differences](https://dev.to/karleb/self-and-static-in-php-and-their-differences-48b7)

Morteza has:

[Unleashing the Full Potential of PHP: How to Overcome the Limitations of Web Development](https://medium.com/@MortezaPoussane/unleashing-the-full-potential-of-php-how-to-overcome-the-limitations-of-web-development-a560503f558f)

### Previous Weeks

Rakibul Islam shares:

[Exploring the Power of ReflectionClass in PHP](https://rakibdevs.medium.com/exploring-the-power-of-reflectionclass-in-php-a26d5ce533f3)

Adrien Roches opines on:

[PHP : The fall of `array`](https://medium.com/the-sensiolabs-tech-blog/php-the-fall-of-array-6392ad85993d)

![Code logo](https://symfonystation.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/code-logo_3.jpeg)

## Other

[Please visit our Support Ukraine page](https://www.symfonystation.com/Support-Ukraine) to learn how you can help kick Russia out of Ukraine (eventually).

### The cyber response to Russia’s War Crimes and other douchebaggery

The New York Times reports:

[Flood of Russians Alters Life for Countries That Took Them In](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/world/europe/russians-georgia-armenia-war.html)

Forbes reports:

[What Corporate Directors Need To Know About The White House National Cybersecurity Strategy](https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobzukis/2023/03/16/what-corporate-directors-need-to-know-about-the-white-house-national-cybersecurity-strategy/)

Decipher reports:

[US, German Authorities Take Down ChipMixer Platform](https://apple.news/AiRLdmGzRRbq9QrdXVsd1Kg)

### The Evil Empire Strikes Back

And:

[Winter Vivern APT Targeting Ukrainian, European Organizations](https://apple.news/AfS3xOB5GRjirjhbM5kLAqg)

Via Bloomberg Law: 

[Florida ‘Digital Rights’ Push Big Tech Into DeSantis Culture War](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/in-house-counsel/florida-digital-rights-push-big-tech-into-desantis-culture-war)

**Stubby Ron DeCuntis took a break from endorsing Vlad Cuntin this week to have his lickspittle cronies push some undoubtedly unconstitutional legislation. Nothing he gives a shit about other than it helping him in his coup attempt on Cheeto Jesus.**

Bleeping Computer:

[Microsoft fixes Outlook zero-day used by Russian hackers since April 2022](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-fixes-outlook-zero-day-used-by-russian-hackers-since-april-2022/)

The Guardian reports:

[Russia disinformation looks to US far right to weaken Ukraine support](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/16/russia-disinformation-us-far-right-republicans-ukraine)

NBC reports:

[Russian hackers could be regrouping ahead of elections, Microsoft warns](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/russia-hackers-microsoft-outlook-rcna75181)

Wired reports:

[This Is the New Leader of Russia's Infamous Sandworm Hacking Unit](https://www.wired.com/story/russia-gru-sandworm-serebriakov/)

The Hacker News reports:

[YoroTrooper Stealing Credentials and Information from Government and Energy Organizations](https://thehackernews.com/2023/03/yorotrooper-stealing-credentials-and.html?m=1)

### Cybersecurity/Privacy

And:

[GoBruteforcer: New Golang-Based Malware Breaches Web Servers Via Brute-Force Attacks](https://thehackernews.com/2023/03/gobruteforcer-new-golang-based-malware.html)

[Warning: AI-generated YouTube Video Tutorials Spreading Infostealer Malware](https://thehackernews.com/2023/03/warning-ai-generated-youtube-video.html)

PCMag reports:

[US Shuts Down 'Netwire' Malware That Posed as Legit Remote Admin Tool](https://www.pcmag.com/news/us-shuts-down-netwire-malware-that-posed-as-legit-remote-admin-tool)

Forbes reports:

[GPT-4 Can’t Stop Helping Hackers Make Cybercriminal Tools](https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2023/03/16/gpt-4-could-help-stupid-hackers-become-good-cybercriminals/?sh=348035ac22cf)

[Don’t use autofill on your password manager—especially if it’s Bitwarden](https://www.pcworld.com/article/1656351/dont-use-autofill-on-your-password-manager-especially-if-its-bitwarden.html)

**This is good advice I was not familiar with.**

### More

SWYX says:

[Preemptive Pluralization is (Probably) Not Evil](https://www.swyx.io/preemptive-pluralization)

Tomasz Dobrowolski shares:

[4 Crucial Skills Every Entry-Level Developer Needs but Doesn’t Have (And How You Can Learn Them…](https://levelup.gitconnected.com/4-crucial-skills-every-entry-level-developer-needs-but-doesnt-have-and-how-you-can-learn-them-2d8f2ea2c01a)

The Begin Blog looks at:

[Redefining Developer Experience](https://begin.com/blog/posts/2023-02-28-redefining-developer-experience)

Brain Schnee shows us:

[How to Learn and Use TypeScript: A Comprehensive Beginner's Guide](https://dev.to/brianschnee/how-to-learn-and-use-typescript-a-comprehensive-beginners-guide-5l)

David explains:

[Why Svelte Outperforms React: A Deep Dive into Render Performance](https://medium.com/@davidkelley87/why-svelte-outperforms-react-a-deep-dive-into-render-performance-af1f2429d4d)

**Longtime readers know I hate React and love Svelte, so I dug this.**

CatlinCodes explores:

[One problem that is now solved by CSS Subgrid](https://catalincodes.com/posts/one-problem-solved-with-css-subgrid)

IFTTT asks:

[What are Webhooks and how to you use them?](https://ifttt.com/explore/what-are-webhooks)

Adam Zewe reports:

[New method accelerates data retrieval in huge databases](https://news.mit.edu/2023/new-method-hash-function-online-databases-0313)

Leopardo Rossi shares:

[SQL Server and Flyway: a Docker approach](https://dev.to/leopardorossi/sql-server-and-flyway-a-docker-approach-kdj)

And Servebolt shows us:

[How To Profile SQL Queries for Better Performance](https://servebolt.com/articles/profiling-sql-queries/)

### Fediverse

Wired reports:

[Twitter’s $42,000-per-Month API Prices Out Nearly Everyone](https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-data-api-prices-out-nearly-everyone/)

**C^nts gonna c^nt.**

Johannes Ernst

[Meta and ActivityPub](https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-swicg/2023Mar/0067.html)

**As we covered last week, the reaction to this news ranged from incredulous disbelief to horror.**

TechCrunch reports:

[WordPress.com owner Automattic acquires an ActivityPub plugin so blogs can join the Fediverse](https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/13/wordpress-com-owner-automattic-acquires-an-activitypub-plugin-so-blogs-can-join-the-fediverse/)

**Meanwhile, this news was met with joy and acclaim.**

Here’s the official statement:

[ActivityPub](https://wordpress.org/plugins/activitypub/)

Joe Lotter writes:

[On POSSE and IndieWeb](https://www.joelotter.com/posts/2023/03/indieweb/)

Storybench has:

[Adam Davidson talks Mastodon, @Journa.Host, and content moderation](https://www.storybench.org/adam-davidson-on-mastodon-and-journa-host/)

If you think the Fediverse would be an interesting option to explore for your side projects, The FediForum is coming up

[FediForum | Who's coming?](https://fediforum.org/attendees/)

Here’s an example project from Veronica Berglyd Olsen:

[Threaded Mastodon Comments](https://berglyd.net/blog/2023/03/mastodon-comments/)

## CTAs (aka show us some free love)

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##Author

![Reuben Walker headshot](https://miro.medium.com/max/1200/1*B3RcgIbAiytfjynP-oiOMg.jpeg)

###Reuben Walker

Founder
Symfony Station