Php Coding Standard Laravel Package

Getting Started

1. Install the package via Composer:

   composer require --dev unleashedtech/php-coding-standard
   

2. Install PHP_CodeSniffer (PHPCS) if not already present:

   composer require --dev squizlabs/php_codesniffer
   

3. Configure PHPCS to use the provided ruleset:
   Create or update phpcs.xml in your project root with:

   <?xml version="1.0"?>
   <ruleset name="UnleashedTechStandard">
       <arg value="p"/>
       <file>src/</file>
       <file>tests/</file>
       <rule ref="vendor/unleashedtech/php-coding-standard/ruleset.xml"/>
   </ruleset>
   

4. Run initial linting:

   ./vendor/bin/phpcs
   

5. First use case: Catch style violations before merge by adding the command to your local pre-commit hook or CI lint job.

Implementation Patterns

• Global reuse: Include in a monorepo root or shared dev dependencies config; individual projects simply reference the ruleset via <rule ref="..."/>.
• CI integration: Add ./vendor/bin/phpcs . as a step in your GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or similar—fail fast on non-compliant code.
• IDE integration: Configure PHPStorm or VS Code PHPCS extensions to use the same ruleset.xml; developers get real-time feedback.
• Gradual adoption: Temporarily relax rules per directory or file using inline @codingStandardsIgnoreStart/End or <exclude-pattern> in phpcs.xml.
• Override selectively: Extend the standard in your own phpcs.xml to tweak rules (e.g., add customSniff paths or relax specific sniffs) while keeping the baseline intact.

Gotchas and Tips

• Version lock: Since it’s a small package (1 star), verify version compatibility with your PHP_CodeSniffer version (^3.7 recommended). Check composer.json for required PHP version.
• Empty or minimal sniff set: The repo’s low score (21.38) and minimal star count may indicate incomplete coverage—validate which PSR rules it actually enforces by inspecting ruleset.xml in the vendor directory.
• Default path assumptions: PHPCS looks for the ruleset in phpcs.xml or phpcs.xml.dist; ensure phpcs.xml is committed, or add a .phpcs.xml alias.
• Performance: The ruleset includes only essential sniffs—great for speed, but not a replacement for static analyzers (e.g., PHPStan) or linters (e.g., PHP-CS-Fixer). Use alongside, not instead of.
• Debugging issues: Run with -s flag (phpcs -s path/to/file.php) to see which sniff triggered a violation. Use --standard=VendorName when testing custom configs.
• Extension point: While not configurable via phpcs.ini, you can create your own sniffs and add them to your project’s phpcs.xml after referencing this standard.