Technical Evaluation

Architecture fit: mll-lab/php-utils is a dev-only Laravel/PHP utility package, primarily providing PHPStan configuration (rules.neon) and coding-standard enforcement. It fits into CI/static-analysis pipelines, not runtime application architecture.
Integration feasibility: v7.0.0 is installable where the static-analysis stack supports spaze/phpstan-disallowed-calls ^4.4, which requires phpstan ^1.12.6. This conflicts with larastan 1.0.4 (phpstan <1.9) on PHP 8.0, so legacy Laravel/PHP 8.0 projects may be blocked.
Technical risk: The breaking dependency bump can block upgrades for teams still on PHP 8.0 with older Larastan/PHPStan. The new CarbonImmutable PHPStan ban is opinionated and may surface existing violations. CI dependency resolution is a known failure point.
Key questions: What PHP, Larastan, and PHPStan versions are in target Laravel apps? Is PHP 8.0 still supported? Can teams upgrade Larastan/PHPStan before adopting v7? Does banning CarbonImmutable align with existing coding guidelines? Is rules.neon auto-loaded, and does it depend on spaze being installed?

Integration Approach

Stack fit: Best suited to Laravel/PHP repositories using PHPStan/Larastan in CI. Install as a dev dependency; no runtime impact expected.
Migration path: Audit current PHP/Larastan/PHPStan versions first. On PHP 8.1+ with modern Larastan/PHPStan, upgrade spaze/phpstan-disallowed-calls to ^4.4 and then adopt v7. On PHP 8.0 with larastan 1.0.4, either upgrade the static-analysis stack or pin to v6 until the platform is modernized.
Compatibility: v7 requires spaze/phpstan-disallowed-calls ^4.4. PHP 8.0 CI combinations with older Larastan are known to conflict. rules.neon loading is now based on whether spaze is installed rather than only PHP version, improving conditional behavior.
Sequencing: 1) Inventory PHP/Larastan/PHPStan versions. 2) Upgrade Larastan/PHPStan where possible. 3) Update spaze to ^4.4. 4) Upgrade mll-lab/php-utils to v7. 5) Run CI and static analysis. 6) Address any CarbonImmutable violations. 7) Pin v6 only where the stack cannot yet move.

Maintenance: Adds a dev dependency that must be kept aligned with PHPStan/Larastan versions. CI configuration may need adjustment, especially around PHP 8.0.
Support: Teams on legacy PHP 8.0 + Larastan 1.0.4 need documented exceptions or upgrade support. The CarbonImmutable ban should be communicated as a coding-standard change.
Scaling: Useful for standardizing static analysis across many Laravel repositories. However, dependency conflicts can cause version divergence between older and newer projects.
Failure modes: Composer dependency resolution failures in CI; PHPStan rule conflicts; existing CarbonImmutable usage causing new failures; rules.neon not loading when spaze is absent; inconsistent analysis if PHP 8.0 CI removes spaze.
Ramp-up: Low for developers using PHPStan, but TPM coordination is needed to sequence upgrades, communicate the breaking change, and avoid blocking legacy projects.