title: How do I call a function from a dll from php on windows?
body: <p>I'm using xampp.</p>
  
  <p>I search and it looks like for php 4.x, there was an extension called php_w32api.dll which seems to have vanished for php 5.x. Nevertheless, it's still in the documentation on php.net but marked as experimental.</p>
  
  <p>Some suggested to use win32std in pecl instead, but that just wraps some function of the win32 api, but doesn't allow me do call my own dll functions. :/</p>
  
  <p>There is ffi, but the link on the pecl site is dead and it seems like development has stopped in 2004.</p>
  
  <p>Any idea how to do this without writing my own php extension?</p>
  
  <p>Best regards
     Marc</p>