diff --git a/examples/Figure as Definition List/demo.php b/examples/Figure as Definition List/demo.php
index cfec409a..00e91bfb 100644
--- a/examples/Figure as Definition List/demo.php	
+++ b/examples/Figure as Definition List/demo.php	
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 }
 
 
-function figureHandler(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, Texy\Link $link = null, $content, Texy\Modifier $modifier): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
+function figureHandler(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, ?Texy\Link $link, $content, Texy\Modifier $modifier): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
 {
 	// finish invocation by default way
 	$el = $invocation->proceed();
diff --git a/examples/Youtube video/demo.php b/examples/Youtube video/demo.php
index 4cbcaffe..bf2a9478 100644
--- a/examples/Youtube video/demo.php	
+++ b/examples/Youtube video/demo.php	
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 /**
  * User handler for images
  */
-function imageHandler(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, Texy\Link $link = null): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
+function imageHandler(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, ?Texy\Link $link = null): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
 {
 	$parts = explode(':', $image->URL);
 	if (count($parts) !== 2) {
diff --git a/examples/composer.json b/examples/composer.json
index 197afa87..307d8b5d 100644
--- a/examples/composer.json
+++ b/examples/composer.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"type": "project",
 	"require": {
-		"php": ">=7.1",
+		"php": ">=8.1",
 		"texy/texy": "^3.0",
 		"kukulich/fshl": "^2.1",
 		"geshi/geshi": "^1.0"
diff --git a/examples/handler/handler.php b/examples/handler/handler.php
index 2671dad5..fa09a20b 100644
--- a/examples/handler/handler.php
+++ b/examples/handler/handler.php
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public function emoticon(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, $emoticon, $rawEmot
 
 
 	/** @return Texy\HtmlElement|string|null */
-	public function image(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, Texy\Link $link = null)
+	public function image(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, ?Texy\Link $link = null)
 	{
 		return $invocation->proceed();
 	}
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public function image(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, Tex
 	public function linkReference(
 		Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation,
 		Texy\Link $link,
-		string $content
+		string $content,
 	): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
 	{
 		return $invocation->proceed();
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public function phrase(
 		$phrase,
 		$content,
 		Texy\Modifier $modifier,
-		Texy\Link $link = null,
+		?Texy\Link $link = null,
 	) {
 		return $invocation->proceed();
 	}
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ function paragraph(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, $content, Texy\Modifier $
 	public function figure(
 		Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation,
 		Texy\Image $image,
-		Texy\Link $link = null,
+		?Texy\Link $link,
 		$content,
 		Texy\Modifier $modifier,
 	) {
diff --git a/examples/images/demo.php b/examples/images/demo.php
index dcac3fd6..b75ea936 100644
--- a/examples/images/demo.php
+++ b/examples/images/demo.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 /**
  * User handler for images
  */
-function imageHandler(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, Texy\Link $link = null): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
+function imageHandler(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, Texy\Image $image, ?Texy\Link $link = null): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
 {
 	if ($image->URL == 'user') { // accepts only [* user *]
 		$image->URL = 'image.gif'; // image URL
diff --git a/examples/links/demo.php b/examples/links/demo.php
index 45488f02..7b66c7f6 100644
--- a/examples/links/demo.php
+++ b/examples/links/demo.php
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 }
 
 
-function phraseHandler(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, $phrase, $content, Texy\Modifier $modifier, Texy\Link $link = null): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
+function phraseHandler(Texy\HandlerInvocation $invocation, $phrase, $content, Texy\Modifier $modifier, ?Texy\Link $link = null): Texy\HtmlElement|string|null
 {
 	// is there link?
 	if (!$link) {
diff --git a/examples/syntax highlighting/demo-fshl-alt.php b/examples/syntax highlighting/demo-fshl-alt.php
index 07823ee8..ac614604 100644
--- a/examples/syntax highlighting/demo-fshl-alt.php	
+++ b/examples/syntax highlighting/demo-fshl-alt.php	
@@ -87,15 +87,15 @@ function codeBlockHandler(Texy\BlockParser $parser, array $matches, string $name
 // add new syntax: <?php ... ? >
 $texy->registerBlockPattern(
 	'codeBlockHandler',
-	'#^<\\?php\n.+?\n\\?>$#ms', // block patterns must be multiline and line-anchored
-	'phpBlockSyntax'
+	'#^<\?php\n.+?\n\?>$#ms', // block patterns must be multiline and line-anchored
+	'phpBlockSyntax',
 );
 
 // add new syntax: <script ...> ... </script>
 $texy->registerBlockPattern(
 	'codeBlockHandler',
 	'#^<script(?: type=.?text/javascript.?)?>\n.+?\n</script>$#ms', // block patterns must be multiline and line-anchored
-	'scriptBlockSyntax'
+	'scriptBlockSyntax',
 );
 
 // processing
diff --git a/src/Texy/Modules/BlockModule.php b/src/Texy/Modules/BlockModule.php
index 7654449f..171716d4 100644
--- a/src/Texy/Modules/BlockModule.php
+++ b/src/Texy/Modules/BlockModule.php
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public function __construct(Texy\Texy $texy)
 
 		$texy->registerBlockPattern(
 			$this->pattern(...),
-			'#^/--++ *+(.*)' . Texy\Patterns::MODIFIER_H . '?$((?:\n(?0)|\n.*+)*)(?:\n\\\\--.*$|\z)#mUi',
+			'#^/--++ *+(.*)' . Texy\Patterns::MODIFIER_H . '?$((?:\n(?0)|\n.*+)*)(?:\n\\\--.*$|\z)#mUi',
 			'blocks',
 		);
 	}
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ private function beforeBlockParse(Texy\BlockParser $parser, string &$text): void
 		// autoclose exclusive blocks
 		$text = Texy\Regexp::replace(
 			$text,
-			'#^(/--++ *+(?!div|texysource).*)$((?:\n.*+)*?)(?:\n\\\\--.*$|(?=(\n/--.*$)))#mi',
+			'#^(/--++ *+(?!div|texysource).*)$((?:\n.*+)*?)(?:\n\\\--.*$|(?=(\n/--.*$)))#mi',
 			"\$1\$2\n\\--",
 		);
 	}
diff --git a/src/Texy/Modules/PhraseModule.php b/src/Texy/Modules/PhraseModule.php
index 3e9be1b0..a6d78ad8 100644
--- a/src/Texy/Modules/PhraseModule.php
+++ b/src/Texy/Modules/PhraseModule.php
@@ -61,14 +61,14 @@ public function __construct(Texy\Texy $texy)
 		// ***strong+emphasis***
 		$texy->registerLinePattern(
 			$this->patternPhrase(...),
-			'#(?<![*\\\\])\*\*\*(?![\s*])((?:[^ *]++|[ *])+)' . Patterns::MODIFIER . '?(?<![\s*\\\\])\*\*\*(?!\*)(?::(' . Patterns::LINK_URL . '))??()#Uus',
+			'#(?<![*\\\])\*\*\*(?![\s*])((?:[^ *]++|[ *])+)' . Patterns::MODIFIER . '?(?<![\s*\\\])\*\*\*(?!\*)(?::(' . Patterns::LINK_URL . '))??()#Uus',
 			'phrase/strong+em',
 		);
 
 		// **strong**
 		$texy->registerLinePattern(
 			$this->patternPhrase(...),
-			'#(?<![*\\\\])\*\*(?![\s*])((?:[^ *]++|[ *])+)' . Patterns::MODIFIER . '?(?<![\s*\\\\])\*\*(?!\*)(?::(' . Patterns::LINK_URL . '))??()#Uus',
+			'#(?<![*\\\])\*\*(?![\s*])((?:[^ *]++|[ *])+)' . Patterns::MODIFIER . '?(?<![\s*\\\])\*\*(?!\*)(?::(' . Patterns::LINK_URL . '))??()#Uus',
 			'phrase/strong',
 		);
 
@@ -82,14 +82,14 @@ public function __construct(Texy\Texy $texy)
 		// *emphasisAlt*
 		$texy->registerLinePattern(
 			$this->patternPhrase(...),
-			'#(?<![*\\\\])\*(?![\s*])((?:[^\s*]++|[*])+)' . Patterns::MODIFIER . '?(?<![\s*\\\\])\*(?!\*)(?::(' . Patterns::LINK_URL . '))??()#Uus',
+			'#(?<![*\\\])\*(?![\s*])((?:[^\s*]++|[*])+)' . Patterns::MODIFIER . '?(?<![\s*\\\])\*(?!\*)(?::(' . Patterns::LINK_URL . '))??()#Uus',
 			'phrase/em-alt',
 		);
 
 		// *emphasisAlt2*
 		$texy->registerLinePattern(
 			$this->patternPhrase(...),
-			'#(?<![^\s.,;:<>()"\'' . Patterns::MARK . '-])\*(?![\s*])((?:[^ *]++|[ *])+)' . Patterns::MODIFIER . '?(?<![\s*\\\\])\*(?![^\s.,;:<>()"?!\'-])(?::(' . Patterns::LINK_URL . '))??()#Uus',
+			'#(?<![^\s.,;:<>()"\'' . Patterns::MARK . '-])\*(?![\s*])((?:[^ *]++|[ *])+)' . Patterns::MODIFIER . '?(?<![\s*\\\])\*(?![^\s.,;:<>()"?!\'-])(?::(' . Patterns::LINK_URL . '))??()#Uus',
 			'phrase/em-alt2',
 		);
 
diff --git a/src/Texy/Modules/TypographyModule.php b/src/Texy/Modules/TypographyModule.php
index 959917a5..727c1b3e 100644
--- a/src/Texy/Modules/TypographyModule.php
+++ b/src/Texy/Modules/TypographyModule.php
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ final class TypographyModule extends Texy\Module
 	private static array $patterns = [
 		'#(?<![.\x{2026}])\.{3,4}(?![.\x{2026}])#mu' => "\u{2026}",                // ellipsis  ...
 		'#(?<=[\d ]|^)-(?=[\d ]|$)#' /*.          */ => "\u{2013}",                // en dash 123-123
-		'#(?<=[^!*+,/:;<=>@\\\\_|-])--(?=[^!*+,/:;<=>@\\\\_|-])#' => "\u{2013}",   // en dash alphanum--alphanum
+		'#(?<=[^!*+,/:;<=>@\\\_|-])--(?=[^!*+,/:;<=>@\\\_|-])#' => "\u{2013}",   // en dash alphanum--alphanum
 		'#,-#' /*.                                */ => ",\u{2013}",               // en dash ,-
 		'#(?<!\d)(\d{1,2}\.) (\d{1,2}\.) (\d\d)#' => "\$1\u{A0}\$2\u{A0}\$3",      // date 23. 1. 1978
 		'#(?<!\d)(\d{1,2}\.) (\d{1,2}\.)#' /*.    */ => "\$1\u{A0}\$2",            // date 23. 1.