Explore the latest developments in PHP 5.4 through this informative conference talk by Johannes Schlüter at the International PHP Conference 2011. Discover new features introduced in PHP 5.4, which had recently reached beta status at the time. Learn about the continued evolution of PHP since the successful launch of PHP 5.3 in 2009, showcasing the language's rapid development and growing contributor base. Gain insights into preparing your code for the upcoming changes and understand the impact of new features such as traits, shortened array syntax, and performance improvements. Delve into topics including magic quotes, closures, the interactive shell, and the built-in web server. Get valuable advice on adapting your codebase and leveraging new capabilities to enhance your PHP development skills.