PHP Code Sniffer VS PHPStan

To do so simply install the runtime/frankenphp-symfony composer package. Then we install the bare minimum for a kick ass developer experience, a linter using Code Sniffer, phpstan as code quality audit tool, Rector to ease and automate code maintenance, some useful Symfony components and package and of course the Doctrine ORM. Here the composer.json file located at the symfony folder root.

PHP Insights supports sniffs from PHP CodeSniffer and fixers from PHP CS Fixer. This allows you to add any sniff or fixer as long as it implements PHP_CodeSniffer\Sniffs\Sniff or PhpCsFixer\Fixer\FixerInterface.

I don’t know why but that link keeps reloading the page over and over. This one works for me: https://github.com/squizlabs/PHP_CodeSniffer/issues/3932

PHP_CodeSniffer is a widely-used tool for enforcing coding standards in PHP. It checks the code against a set of predefined coding standards (such as PSR-12, PSR-2, and many others) and provides reports with violations and recommendations for improvement. Documentation: You can find more information about PHP_CodeSniffer and its usage in the official documentation: PHP_CodeSniffer Repository

While you're at it, also include code-style checkers like phpcs, phpmd and/or php-cs-fixer

See https://github.com/squizlabs/PHP_CodeSniffer

It internally uses PHPStan, one of the most respected tools for static analysis in PHP.

PHPStan for static analysis

Ensuring clean, maintainable code is vital in any Laravel project. While PHPStan is an excellent static analysis tool for identifying code issues, the raw JSON output it generates isn’t always human-friendly. That’s where a custom reporting script comes in handy.

Dev-friendly tools with Laravel Debugbar, PHPStan for static analysis and Pint for consistent code formatting

PHPStan: composer require --dev phpstan/phpstan

To do so simply install the runtime/frankenphp-symfony composer package. Then we install the bare minimum for a kick ass developer experience, a linter using Code Sniffer, phpstan as code quality audit tool, Rector to ease and automate code maintenance, some useful Symfony components and package and of course the Doctrine ORM. Here the composer.json file located at the symfony folder root.

At DinnerBooking, we've tackled this challenge using PHPStan. Here’s how:

As part of the journey to PHP perfection, you should embrace Rector. It's a amazing, free, and open-source tool for migrations, code quality, type coverage, pushing PHPStan to the highest levels, and yes, it can even auto-fix your existing code! It seamlessly integrates into the CI process, making your development workflow smoother than ever.

PHPStan focuses on finding errors in PHP code without running it. It captures all types of errors, even before you write tests. It brings PHP closer to compiled languages by checking the correctness of each line of code before execution.

PHPStan is a static analysis tool for PHP. Larastan is a package built on top of PHPStan to make it easier to integrate with Laravel projects. PHPStan works by "sniffing" the code using the various rulesets applied to it and determine if it follows the standards. However, Larastan doesn't fully follow the definition of "static analysis" since it has to boot the application's container and resolve the types that can only be computed at runtime. This is why Larastan is called a "code analysis" tool rather than a "static analysis" tool.