Getting Started

Minimal Setup

Installation Add the package via Composer:

composer require --dev slevomat/coding-standard

Require PHP_CodeSniffer (if not already installed):

composer require --dev squizlabs/php_codesniffer

First Run Execute the default Slevomat ruleset against your Laravel project:

vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --extensions=php app/

Quick Fixes Auto-fix supported violations (marked with 🔧 in the docs):

vendor/bin/phpcbf --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --extensions=php app/

First Use Case: Pre-Commit Hook

Integrate with Laravel Forge or Git hooks to enforce standards before commits:

# Example in a pre-commit hook (bash)
#!/bin/sh
vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --extensions=php app/ || exit 1

Implementation Patterns

Workflow Integration

CI/CD Pipeline Add to Laravel’s GitHub Actions (.github/workflows/php.yml):

- name: Run Slevomat Coding Standard
  run: vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --extensions=php app/ --report=checkstyle | tee phpcs.xml

IDE Integration Configure PHPStorm to use the Slevomat ruleset:
- Settings > Languages & Frameworks > PHP > Code Sniffer
- Set Standard: vendor/slevomat/coding-standard
- Enable On the fly inspection.

Custom Ruleset Extend the default ruleset in phpcs.xml:

<config name="standard" value="vendor/slevomat/coding-standard"/>
<config name="encoding" value="utf-8"/>
<config name="tab-width" value="4"/>
<rule ref="SlevomatCodingStandard.Arrays.TrailingArrayComma"/>
<rule ref="SlevomatCodingStandard.Classes.ClassLength" severity="warning" limit="300"/>

Laravel-Specific Patterns
- Service Providers: Enforce SlevomatCodingStandard.Classes.ClassKeywordOrder to group use statements, properties, methods, etc.
- Controllers: Use SlevomatCodingStandard.Classes.ForbiddenPublicProperty to block public properties in controllers.
- Migrations: Apply SlevomatCodingStandard.Arrays.AlphabeticallySortedByKeys to migration arrays (e.g., $table->string('column');).

Team Onboarding

Document the ruleset in CONTRIBUTING.md:

## Code Style
Run `composer cs-check` to validate your changes against Slevomat’s standards.

Add a script to composer.json:

"scripts": {
  "cs-check": "phpcs --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --extensions=php app/",
  "cs-fix": "phpcbf --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --extensions=php app/"
}

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

Performance Overhead
- Issue: Running Slevomat on large codebases (e.g., Laravel + tests) can be slow.
- Fix: Exclude tests or specific directories:
```
vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --ignore=tests,storage app/
```

Overly Strict Rules

Issue: Rules like SlevomatCodingStandard.Classes.ClassLength may flag legacy code.

Fix: Adjust severity or exclude files:

<rule ref="SlevomatCodingStandard.Classes.ClassLength">
  <severity>warning</severity>
  <properties>
    <property name="limit" value="500" />
  </properties>
</rule>

Auto-Fix Limitations
- Issue: Not all violations support --fix (e.g., SlevomatCodingStandard.Classes.ForbiddenPublicProperty).
- Fix: Manually review or suppress locally (see below).
Conflicts with Other Tools
- Issue: Overlap with PHPStan or Psalm may cause redundant checks.
- Fix: Prioritize one tool per concern (e.g., use PHPStan for static analysis, Slevomat for style).
Attribute Sniffs in Older PHP
- Issue: Attribute-related sniffs (e.g., SlevomatCodingStandard.Attributes.*) may fail on PHP < 8.0.
- Fix: Exclude or use a PHP version-specific ruleset.

Debugging Tips

Verbose Output Run with -v to debug sniff application:

vendor/bin/phpcs -v --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard app/Http/Controllers/

Isolate Violations Test individual sniffs:

vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --ruleset=SlevomatCodingStandard.Arrays app/

Local Suppression Suppress a sniff for a specific line:

// phpcs:disable SlevomatCodingStandard.Arrays.TrailingArrayComma
$array = [
  'key' => 'value', // No trailing comma
];
// phpcs:enable

Custom Error Messages Override default messages in phpcs.xml:

<rule ref="SlevomatCodingStandard.Classes.ClassLength">
  <error>Class exceeds 300 lines; consider splitting.</error>
</rule>

Extension Points

Create Custom Sniffs Extend the package by writing your own sniffs (see PHP_CodeSniffer docs). Example: Enforce Laravel-specific naming conventions (e.g., *Service suffix for services).

Combine Rulesets Merge with other standards (e.g., PSR-12) in phpcs.xml:

<config name="standard" value="PSR12, vendor/slevomat/coding-standard"/>

Dynamic Rules via PHP Use phpcs.xml to load dynamic rules:

<rule ref="SlevomatCodingStandard.Classes.ClassLength">
  <properties>
    <property name="limit" value="$(class_limit)" />
  </properties>
</rule>

Pass class_limit via CLI or environment variables.

GitHub Action Customization Add annotations to PRs with detailed feedback:

- name: Annotate PR
  uses: ataylorme/phpcs-action@v1
  with:
    phpcs-args: "--standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard --report=github"

Laravel Artisan Command Create a custom Artisan command for quick checks:

// app/Console/Commands/CheckCodeStandard.php
namespace App\Console\Commands;

use Illuminate\Console\Command;
use Symfony\Component\Process\Process;

class CheckCodeStandard extends Command
{
    protected $signature = 'code:standard';
    protected $description = 'Run Slevomat Coding Standard checks';

    public function handle()
    {
        $process = new Process(['phpcs', '--standard=vendor/slevomat/coding-standard', 'app/']);
        $process->run();
        $this->output->write($process->getOutput());
        if ($process->getExitCode() !== 0) exit(1);
    }
}

Coding Standard Laravel Package