Phpcsdevcs Laravel Package

Getting Started

This package provides a ruleset (named PHPDevCS) specifically for developers writing custom PHPCS sniffs. Begin by installing it via Composer:

composer require --dev phpcsstandards/phpcsdevcs

Then, reference it in your custom ruleset XML (e.g., ruleset.xml) to lint your own sniffs during development:

<rule ref="PHPDevCS" />

It enforces best practices and coding standards within sniff code itself—not project code—making it ideal for contributors to PHPCS-ecosystem projects or those building internal sniff libraries.

Implementation Patterns

• Dev-time only: Include PHPDevCS in your development-only ruleset (e.g., phpcs-dev.xml). Exclude it from production CI that analyzes application code.
• Sniff template integration: Use it in your custom sniff skeleton or project templates (e.g., via squizlabs/php_codesniffer-template) to ensure new sniffs conform to PHPCS conventions.
• CI workflow: Add a dedicated CI job that runs PHPCS with PHPDevCS on src/Sniffs/ to catch violations in your sniffs before merging.
• Extended rulesets: Build upon PHPDevCS in your custom ruleset to override or relax specific rules while retaining core sniff-development checks (e.g., protected vs private methods, DocBlock conventions).

Gotchas and Tips

• Misleading name: Despite the name, you don’t need to be a PHPCS core developer—just writing any custom sniff benefits from this ruleset.
• No target project sniffing: It will incorrectly flag your project code if used naively. Always scope its usage to --standard=PHPDevCS src/Sniffs/.
• Strict DocBlock requirements: Enforces detailed @since, @link, and method-level annotations—use PHPDoc templates to reduce boilerplate.
• Method visibility: Enforces protected for helper methods; violating this is common in early-stage sniff dev—review violations carefully before suppressing.
• Test coverage integration: Combine with phpunit + phpcsdevcs in your test suite to catch style issues in test sniffs (e.g., your SniffTest.php implementations) too.