PECL for Windows users
As with any other PHP extension DLL, installation is as simple as copying the PECL extension DLLs into the extension_dir folder and loading them from php.ini. For example, add the following line to your php.ini:
extension=php_extname.dll
After doing this, restart the web service.
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This is handwaved somewhat in the "Resolving problems" section, but mis-location of (non-extension) DLL files is often a problem when installing PHP extensions on Windows.
Many PHP extensions come with not only the extension DLL, but supplementary DLLs that are required by that extension. (For example, php_luasandbox.dll comes with lua5.1.dll, the lua interpreter it sandboxes.) Those other DLLs should go into the same directory as the php.exe binary, NOT the extension directory.
So, if php_luasandbox.dll is installed at C:\PHP8.1\ext\php_luasandbox.dll, the interpreter would be located at C:\PHP8.1\lua5.1.dll. That allows the PHP binary C:\PHP8.1\php.exe to find those additional DLLs when required.
On windows, drop your extension's dependencies into a dir of your choice, but outside of your php install. Add that dir to a path environment variable used by your php. Add <extension_name>.dll to your php's extension_dir, and update your php.ini (unless you're simply testing with php's cli).In addition to the helpful comments of ferdnyc and dario: A few weeks ago I've set up a new W11 using PHP 8.1. (as a module) with Apache. It was working fine.Today i wanted to install the PECL-extension php-amqp. This extension comes with two additional files that are said to be placed in PHPs main directory. It worked fine running from the command prompt but with Apache the extension failed with "Unable to load dynamic library 'amqp'".
I tried 100 ways to notate paths in php.ini and http.conf: c:, C:, \, \\, /, ". I also installed a new PHP in the root to get rid of the space in the path. It did not help.
When reading dario's comment i stumbeled across him mentioning "path environment variable". I checked that in Window's settings and I realized, that i had added PHP's path to the USER'S path-settings, but not to the SYSTEM'S path. That is why it worked in the command prompt but not when starting Apache as a service. After adding it there it worked fine.
In order for php to see extensions, it is necessary to specify the root folder when specifying the address to the directory with extensions in php.ini. For example extension_dir = "php/ext"