PHP Modernization Skill
Modernize PHP applications to PHP 8.x with type safety, PSR compliance, and static analysis.
Expertise Areas
- PHP 8.x: Constructor promotion, readonly, enums, match, attributes, union types
- PSR/PER Compliance: Active PHP-FIG standards
- Static Analysis: PHPStan (level 9+), PHPat, Rector, PHP-CS-Fixer
- Type Safety: DTOs/VOs over arrays, generics via PHPDoc
Using Reference Documentation
PHP Version Features
When implementing PHP 8.0-8.5 features (constructor promotion, readonly properties, enums, match expressions, attributes), consult
references/php8-features.md
.
Standards Compliance
When ensuring PSR/PER compliance or configuring PHP-CS-Fixer with
, consult
references/psr-per-compliance.md
for active PHP-FIG standards.
When configuring PHPStan levels or understanding level requirements, consult
references/phpstan-compliance.md
for level overview and production configuration.
Static Analysis Tools
When setting up PHPStan, PHPat, Rector, or PHP-CS-Fixer, consult
references/static-analysis-tools.md
for configuration examples and integration patterns.
Type Safety
When implementing type-safe code or migrating from arrays to DTOs, consult
references/type-safety.md
for type system strategies and best practices.
When creating request DTOs or handling safe integer conversion, consult
references/request-dtos.md
for DTO patterns and validation approaches.
Architecture Patterns
When implementing adapter registry patterns for multiple external services, consult
references/adapter-registry-pattern.md
for dynamic adapter instantiation from database configuration.
When using Symfony DI, events, or modern framework patterns, consult
references/symfony-patterns.md
for architecture best practices.
Migration Planning
When planning PHP version upgrades or modernization projects, consult
references/migration-strategies.md
for assessment phases, compatibility checks, and migration workflows.
Running Scripts
Project Verification
To verify a PHP project meets modernization requirements:
bash
scripts/verify-php-project.sh /path/to/project
This script checks:
- PHPStan level compliance
- PHP-CS-Fixer configuration
- Type declaration coverage
- DTO usage patterns
Required Tools
When setting up a modernized PHP project, ensure these tools are configured:
| Tool | Requirement |
|---|
| PHPStan | Level 9 minimum, level 10 recommended |
| PHPat | Required for defined architectures |
| Rector | Required for automated modernization |
| PHP-CS-Fixer | Required with ruleset |
Core Rules
DTOs Required
When passing structured data, always use DTOs instead of arrays:
php
// Bad: public function createUser(array $data): array
// Good: public function createUser(CreateUserDTO $dto): UserDTO
Enums Required
When defining fixed value sets, always use backed enums instead of constants:
php
// Bad: const STATUS_DRAFT = 'draft'; function setStatus(string $s)
// Good: enum Status: string { case Draft = 'draft'; }
PSR Interface Compliance
When type-hinting dependencies, use PSR interfaces (PSR-3, PSR-6, PSR-7, PSR-11, PSR-14, PSR-18).
Migration Checklist
When modernizing a PHP project, verify these requirements:
Scoring Criteria
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|
| PHPStan | Level 9 minimum |
| PHP-CS-Fixer | zero violations |
| DTOs/VOs | No array params/returns for structured data |
| Enums | Backed enums for fixed value sets |