php

PHP Skill

PHP code quality and testing: strict types, PSR-12 compliance, modern language features, framework idioms, static analysis tooling, and PHPUnit testing patterns.

Reference Loading Table

| Signal | Reference | Size |

|--------|-----------|------|

| union types, intersection types, DNF, enums, readonly, named arguments, match expression, null-safe operator, PHP 8.0, PHP 8.1, PHP 8.2 | references/modern-php-features.md | ~160 lines |

| Laravel, Eloquent, Collections, Service Container, Symfony, DI attributes, Event Dispatcher, framework | references/framework-idioms.md | ~70 lines |

| PHP-CS-Fixer, PHPStan, Psalm, Rector, static analysis, CI, linting, code style, taint analysis | references/quality-tools.md | ~60 lines |

| PHPUnit tests, data providers, mocks, stubs, database testing, HTTP testing, coverage | references/testing-patterns.md | ~120 lines |

| quality review process, phases, PSR-12 enforcement | references/php-quality.md | ~60 lines |

| test writing process, test doubles, Prophecy, database fixtures | references/php-testing.md | ~50 lines |

Loading rule. Read the references whose signals match the task before responding.

---

Core Rules (Always Apply)

Strict Types Declaration

Every PHP file must begin with declare(strict_types=1). This enforces scalar type coercion rules, catching type errors at call time instead of silently converting values. Omitting it is a code quality defect.

PSR-12 Coding Standard

PSR-12 extends PSR-1 and PSR-2 as the accepted PHP coding style:

• 4-space indentation, no trailing whitespace
• One class per file
• use statements after namespace with a blank line before and after
• Visibility required on all properties, methods, and constants
• Opening braces on same line for control structures
• Opening braces on next line for classes and methods

---

Phase 1: ASSESS

Determine what kind of PHP work is needed:

| Request type | Load references | Action |

|-------------|----------------|--------|

| Code review | quality refs + quality-tools | Full quality pass |

| Type system question | modern-php-features | Feature-specific guidance |

| Framework patterns | framework-idioms | Idiomatic pattern review |

| Tooling setup | quality-tools | Config and CI guidance |

| Write tests | testing-patterns + php-testing | PHPUnit test authoring |

| Test review | testing-patterns | Test quality review |

Gate: Request classified and relevant references loaded.

---

Phase 2: EXECUTE

Apply loaded reference knowledge to the user's code or question.

For quality reviews, check:

1. declare(strict_types=1) present
2. PSR-12 compliance
3. Modern PHP features used where appropriate
4. Framework idioms followed (if applicable)
5. Quality tooling configured (if applicable)

For testing work:

1. Use PHPUnit TestCase with test prefix or @test annotation
2. Use @dataProvider for table-driven cases
3. Use createStub() for return values, createMock() for interaction assertions
4. Use DatabaseTransactions (Laravel) or KernelTestCase (Symfony) for database tests
5. Call parent::setUp() first in every setUp() method

Gate: Specific, reference-backed feedback or code provided.

---

Phase 3: VERIFY

Run the test suite and confirm:

./vendor/bin/phpunit
# For coverage enforcement:
XDEBUG_MODE=coverage ./vendor/bin/phpunit --coverage-text --coverage-min=80

Gate: All tests pass. Coverage threshold met if configured.