Coding Standard Laravel Package

Getting Started

Start by installing the package into require-dev:

composer require --dev lcobucci/coding-standard

Then create a phpcs.xml in your project root to inherit its ruleset:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ruleset name="MyLaravelAppCS">
    <file>app</file>
    <file>src</file>
    <file>tests</file>
    <rule ref="Lcobucci"/>
</ruleset>

Run initial checks with:

vendor/bin/phpcs

The first day-to-day use case is verifying PSR-12 compliance plus Laravel/Doctrine-specific rules (e.g., strict array syntax, consistent attribute formatting) without reinventing PHPCS setup.

Implementation Patterns

• CI Integration: Add a fast lint step to GitHub Actions/GitLab CI before tests:

  - name: Check code style
    run: vendor/bin/phpcs --warning-severity=0
  

• VS Code Live Feedback: Install the PHP CS Fixer or PHPCS extension, point it to phpcs.xml, and enable phpcs.executablePath.
• Pre-commit Linting: Use lint-staged to run only on staged files (avoids full-project slowness):

  {
    "lint-staged": {
      "*.php": "vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=Lcobucci"
    }
  }
  

• Gradual Migration: Exclude legacy code with !--file> or <exclude-pattern> in phpcs.xml, then progressively remove exclusions as you refactor.
• Laravel-Specific Overrides: Extend the standard for framework conventions (e.g., permit App\ without leading backslash):

  <rule ref="PSR12.Files.FileHeader.IncorrectOrder">
      <exclude-pattern>app/Models/*.php</exclude-pattern>
  </rule>
  

Gotchas and Tips

• PHP Version Lock: v11.x requires ≥PHP 8.1; v10.x ≥8.2. Mismatched PHP CLI versions cause silent errors—always check php -v before running phpcs.
• False Positives with PHP 8.2+ Attributes: If using #[ReadOnly] or custom attributes, ensure you’re on ≥v10 (which uses Doctrine CS v11+). Older versions incorrectly flag attribute syntax.
• Cache Confusion: phpcs caches results aggressively. After changing phpcs.xml or upgrading the package, run with --no-cache.
• Auto-fix Gap: Unlike symplify/easy-coding-standard, this package does not ship auto-fix rules—run phpcbf manually:

  vendor/bin/phpcbf --standard=Lcobucci
  

• Debugging Violations: Use -s to identify the underlying sniff (e.g., Lcobucci.Arrays.ArrayDeclaration.SpaceBeforeDoubleArrow) and cross-reference with Doctrine CS docs.
• Minimize Dependency Noise: Avoid installing alongside squizlabs/php_codesniffer globally—use only the project-local PHPCS installed by this package.