Welcome back to PHP

PHP has introduced new features that simplify code and reduce defensive scaffolding. The null coalescing operator (??) allows for silent fallbacks when variables are missing, and the null coalescing assignment operator (??=) assigns a value only if the target is null or unset. However, these operators have distinct semantics and should be used carefully to avoid quiet bugs. Engineers should familiarize themselves with these operators to take advantage of their benefits and avoid common pitfalls.