Getting Started

Minimal Setup

Install the package via Composer:

composer require --dev lcobucci/coding-standard

Integrate with PHP_CodeSniffer (PHPCS) by adding this to your composer.json under scripts:

"scripts": {
    "cs-check": "phpcs --standard=vendor/lcobucci/coding-standard",
    "cs-fix": "php-cs-fixer fix --rules=@lcobucci"
}

Run a quick check on your project:
```
composer cs-check
```

First Use Case: CI/CD Enforcement

Add a GitHub Actions workflow (.github/workflows/coding-standard.yml) to block PR merges on violations:

name: Coding Standard
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
  check:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
        with:
          php-version: '8.4'
      - run: composer install
      - run: composer cs-check

Implementation Patterns

Workflow: Local Development

Pre-commit Hook (using php-cs-fixer):

composer cs-fix  # Auto-fix violations before committing

Manual Checks:

composer cs-check app/Http/Controllers/  # Scope to a directory

Workflow: CI/CD

Fail Fast: Configure CI to exit with non-zero status on violations (default PHPCS behavior).
Parallelize: Run PHPCS on multiple directories in parallel (e.g., app/, tests/) to speed up CI.

Integration with Laravel

Laravel Valet/Laravel Sail: Add a custom command to app/Console/Kernel.php:

protected function commands()
{
    $this->load(__DIR__.'/Commands/CodingStandardCheck.php');
}

Then run:

php artisan coding-standard:check

Laravel Forge/Envoyer: Add a deploy hook to run composer cs-check before code is merged to production.

Customization

Override Rules: Extend the standard by creating a custom .php-cs-fixer.dist.php:

return (new PhpCsFixer\Config())
    ->setRules([
        '@lcobucci' => true,
        'array_syntax' => ['syntax' => 'short'], // Override array syntax
    ]);

Ignore Files: Use PHPCS’s --ignore flag or .phpcsignore:
```
composer cs-check --ignore=vendor/
```

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

PHP Version Mismatch:
- The package requires PHP 8.4+. If your project uses an older version, either upgrade or use doctrine/coding-standard directly.
- Fix: Update php.ini or use a .php-version file in your repo.
PHPCS 4.0+ Dependency:
- Older PHPCS versions (<4.0) may cause errors. Ensure your php-cs-fixer and phpcodesniffer are updated:
```
composer require --dev php-cs-fixer:^3.30 phpcodesniffer:^4.0
```
False Positives in Legacy Code:
- Strict rules (e.g., DisallowImplicitArrayCreation) may flag legacy code. Use --ignore or .phpcsignore to exclude problematic files temporarily.
Attribute Formatting:
- The standard enforces consistent attribute formatting (e.g., [Route('/')]). If your team uses a different style, override it in php-cs-fixer:
```
'attributes' => ['order' => 'attributes'],
```

Debugging Tips

Verbose Output: Run PHPCS with -v for detailed error messages:
```
composer cs-check -v
```

Fix Specific Issues: Use php-cs-fixer to auto-fix common violations:

composer cs-fix --dry-run  # Preview changes
composer cs-fix            # Apply fixes

Custom Error Groups: PHPCS groups errors by rule. Use --report=full to see all violations:
```
composer cs-check --report=full
```

Extension Points

Add Custom Rules: Extend the standard by creating a custom PHPCS rule and merging it with lcobucci/coding-standard:
```
composer require --dev your/custom-phpcs-rule
```
Then update your PHPCS config to include it.
Modify Rule Severity: Adjust severity levels (e.g., treat warnings as errors) in your PHPCS config:
```
composer cs-check --warning-severity=0
```
Parallel Execution: Speed up CI by running PHPCS on multiple files in parallel (requires PHPCS 4.0+):
```
composer cs-check --parallel=8
```

Pro Tips

Pair with phpstan: Combine with phpstan/extension-installer for static analysis:
```
composer require --dev phpstan/phpstan
```
Then add to composer.json:
```
"scripts": {
    "test": "phpstan analyse --level=5"
}
```

Template for New Projects: Use this composer.json template for new Laravel projects:

{
    "require-dev": {
        "lcobucci/coding-standard": "^12.0",
        "php-cs-fixer": "^3.30",
        "phpcodesniffer": "^4.0"
    },
    "scripts": {
        "cs-check": "phpcs --standard=vendor/lcobucci/coding-standard",
        "cs-fix": "php-cs-fixer fix --rules=@lcobucci"
    }
}

Git Hooks: Automate local checks with a pre-commit hook (e.g., using Husky):

composer require --dev husky
npx husky add .husky/pre-commit "composer cs-check"

Coding Standard Laravel Package