Coding Standard Laravel Package

Getting Started

Install via Composer: composer require --dev ramsey/coding-standard. Run PHPCS directly with vendor/bin/phpcs — it auto-detects the included ruleset.xml and applies the ruleset to your project’s source files. For quick validation in a project root, run vendor/bin/phpcs src/. First-time users should run vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=vendor/ramsey/coding-standard/src/Ramsey explicitly to verify setup, or simply rely on auto-detection if placed in root (standard practice). The most immediate value is catching inconsistent spacing, missing type hints, or non-strict comparisons.

Implementation Patterns

• CI Integration: Add a phpcs step in your workflow (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab CI) using vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=vendor/ramsey/coding-standard/src/Ramsey --error-severity=5 --warning-severity=5 src/ tests/. Fail builds on violations.
• Pre-commit Hook: Use Husky or manual git hooks to run phpcs --fix on staged files, automating formatting before commits.
• IDE Integration: Configure PhpStorm or VS Code PHP Sniffer extension to use the ramsey/coding-standard ruleset for live feedback.
• Gradual Adoption: For legacy codebases, run phpcs with --ignore-annotations and --extensions=php only, or exclude large sections via phpcs.xml while enabling strict checks incrementally.
• Override Selectively: Create a custom phpcs.xml to extend or narrow rules (e.g., disable Squiz.WhiteSpace.ScopeKeywordSpacing if your team prefers it relaxed).

Gotchas and Tips

• PHPCS Version Compatibility: Requires PHPCS ≥3.7; ensure your composer.json pins squizlabs/php_codesniffer explicitly if conflicting dev dependencies exist.
• False Positives on Traits/Interfaces: Some sniffs (e.g., naming conventions for traits) may flag edge cases — always verify using --report-diff before auto-fixing.
• --standard Path Matters: If installing as a dependency (not root), don’t assume --standard=ramsey works; use full path (vendor/ramsey/coding-standard/src/Ramsey) or define custom phpcs.xml.
• Auto-fix Caution: phpcbf may reorder use statements or alter spacing in strings/comments — review diffs. Prefer phpcs --fix over phpcbf for granular control.
• Extension Points: Extend ruleset.xml to add custom sniffs (e.g., PHPCompatibility) — the included file is intentionally minimal but modular.
• Silent Failures: PHPCS exits 0 even on warnings if --warning-severity=0 is used; always test locally with --error-severity=1 --warning-severity=1 during adoption.