How to Install Composer PHP Packages Without Composer

In this article, we will address the challenge of installing Composer PHP packages without the Composer tool itself. This approach is useful when you encounter scenarios where Composer is unavailable or impractical for your workflow.

Identifying Dependencies

The first step is to identify the dependencies required by the package you want to install. This information is typically found in the package's composer.json file. For example, consider the Coinbase PHP API:

"php": ">=5.5.0",
"guzzlehttp/guzzle": "^6.0",
"psr/http-message": "^1.0",
"psr/log": "^1.0"

},

Finding and Installing Packages

With the dependencies identified, you can manually search for and download the corresponding packages from the Packagist website. Repeat this process for each dependency, considering any additional dependencies they may have.

Integrating Packages

Once you have downloaded all required packages, you need to integrate them into your project. For most packages, this involves placing the files in a suitable directory in your project and ensuring that PHP can find the necessary classes. You may need to modify your custom autoloader accordingly. If you don't use an autoloader, you will need to manually introduce require_once statements.

Alternative Approaches

While many answers suggest alternative methods, such as installing a library and creating a custom download script or using an online Composer web interface, these may not fully address the specific concerns raised by the original poster.

Conclusion

Manually installing Composer packages without Composer can be cumbersome and time-consuming. While it may be suitable in certain situations, it is generally recommended to use Composer for its convenience and accuracy.