- Is splitbrain/php-cli a good fit for Laravel Artisan commands?
- Generally no. Laravel already ships Symfony Console through Artisan, and adding splitbrain/php-cli inside the application creates two competing CLI abstractions. The library fits better for standalone scripts, maintenance utilities, or one-off tools that run outside the Laravel runtime. If you need application commands, use Artisan.
- How do I install splitbrain/php-cli with Composer?
- Install it with Composer using composer require splitbrain/php-cli. It is MIT-licensed and dependency-light, so it is quick to evaluate. For standalone scripts, include vendor/autoload.php and instantiate the library's classes directly. Keep it out of the Laravel application autoload path if the tool is meant to run independently.
- What PHP versions does splitbrain/php-cli support, and does it match my Laravel version?
- The package declares its own PHP constraint in composer.json, so check the latest release against your Laravel and PHP matrix before adopting. PHP-version drift is a noted risk for this library, so validate compatibility in CI. Also confirm the constraint matches your deployment runtime, not just your local development machine.
- What features does splitbrain/php-cli offer for building CLI tools?
- It provides argument parsing, colored output, tables, progress bars, and interactive prompts. It is a set of lightweight helpers rather than a framework, so you assemble the pieces yourself. That makes it convenient for small tools but lighter on structure than Symfony Console.
- Can I use splitbrain/php-cli alongside Symfony Console or Laravel Artisan?
- It is technically possible but not recommended unless the scope is tightly bounded. Mixing it with Artisan increases cognitive overhead and forfeits Laravel's command registration, input validation, and testing patterns. Pick one CLI approach per tool and keep the boundary clear.
- What are the alternatives to splitbrain/php-cli for PHP command-line tools?
- Common alternatives include Symfony Console, which powers Laravel Artisan, Laravel's own Artisan commands, and plain PHP with getopt for very small scripts. Choose based on scope: Artisan for application commands, Symfony Console for reusable standalone tools, and splitbrain/php-cli for lightweight utilities. Standardizing on Symfony Console avoids fragmentation.
- Is splitbrain/php-cli actively maintained and safe for production use?
- Treat it as moderate risk. It has a small adoption footprint (around 179 stars), a low computed score, and sparse active community support, which signals limited ecosystem validation. Security risk is likely low given its scope, but maintenance risk is real. The MIT license and small codebase give you a strong escape hatch: vendor, fork, or wrap it.
- How do I test CLI tools built with splitbrain/php-cli?
- Isolate the library behind a small internal adapter so command definitions and output formatting are testable in one place. Test argument parsing and output formatting separately, and verify behavior in non-interactive mode. Documentation and test coverage are lighter than Symfony Console, so plan to cover edge cases yourself.
- Does splitbrain/php-cli work in non-interactive environments like CI, cron, and Docker?
- Color and progress features often degrade poorly in non-TTY contexts, so verify behavior explicitly in CI logs, cron, Docker, and other non-interactive runs. Detect TTY support and disable color or progress when needed. Confirm this before relying on the library for scheduled or automated tooling.
- How should I migrate existing scripts or Artisan commands to splitbrain/php-cli?
- Do not migrate existing Artisan commands to this library. Instead, identify shell scripts, raw PHP scripts, or standalone utilities that could benefit, and start with a small proof of concept. Wrap the library behind an internal CLI helper interface so command parsing and output formatting are centralized, giving you a clean migration seam if you later replace it.