Is there anything like Python's ctype for PHP? Accessing libraries without the need to write an extension?

Question

Python has ctypes to access libraries. In PHP you write extensions for everything. Popular extensions like the one for libgd are available almost everywhere.

Is ther

Answer 1

There is a PHP extension (irony?) called ffi. FFI stands for Foreign Function Interface, which is the generic term for when a language calls libraries written in another language.