This pull request introduces significant refactoring across multiple components of the codebase to enhance memory management, improve type safety, and simplify the implementation of core structures. Key changes include transitioning to theEBox smart pointer for memory management, streamlining object and array handling, and updating type conversions for better compatibility with the Zend Engine.

Memory Management Improvements:

• IntroducedEBox<T> inphper/src/alloc.rs as a smart pointer for PHP values allocated in Zend Engine memory, replacing manual memory management. It handles deallocation automatically and provides safe access to PHP resources.
• UpdatedZObject andStateObject<T> inphper/src/objects.rs to useEBox<T> for memory management, simplifying their implementation and ensuring proper cleanup.[1][2]

Array Handling Enhancements:

• RefactoredZArray inphper/src/arrays.rs to useEBox<ZArr> for memory management, replacing manual pointer handling and improving safety.[1][2]
• Added aDrop implementation forZArr to ensure proper memory cleanup when arrays are destroyed.

Type Conversion Updates:

• Standardized pointer casting for type conversions across the codebase to ensure compatibility with Zend Engine APIs. Examples include updates inphper/src/classes.rs,phper/src/functions.rs, andphper/src/objects.rs.[1][2][3]

Test Improvements:

• Added an assertion to verify HTTP response status codes in integration tests for the HTTP server.

Documentation and Cleanup:

• Removed outdatedebox! macro and associatedEBox implementation fromphper-alloc/src/lib.rs andphper-alloc/src/macros.rs. These have been replaced with the newEBox implementation inphper/src/alloc.rs.[1][2]
• Updated documentation forZObject andStateObject<T> to reflect their new implementations usingEBox.[1][2]