Top 10 PHP coding standards
Published: 2024-01-04 11:48:44

PHP coding standards are a set of guidelines and best practices that developers follow to ensure consistency, readability, and maintainability of code. Adhering to coding standards is essential for collaborative development, as it promotes a uniform coding style across a project or organization. Here are common PHP coding standards:

**1.PSR Standards**
Many PHP projects and frameworks follow the standards defined by the PHP-FIG (PHP Framework Interop Group). Notable PSRs include PSR-1, PSR-2, PSR-4, and PSR-12.

**2.Indentation**
Use spaces for indentation instead of tabs. PSR-2 recommends using four spaces for each level of indentation.

**3.Line Length**
Limit lines to a maximum length, commonly 80 or 120 characters per line. This enhances code readability, especially in side-by-side comparisons.

**4.Opening and Closing PHP Tags**
Use **<?php** for opening PHP tags, and avoid using the short tags (**<?**). For files that contain only PHP code, omit the closing tag **?>** to prevent unintended whitespace.

**5.Namespace and Class Naming**
Use a namespace, and follow an autoloader-friendly directory structure. Class names should be declared in StudlyCaps (PascalCase).
```
namespace Vendor\Package;

class ClassName
{
    // Class implementation
}
```

**6.Class Constants, Properties, and Methods**
Constants should be declared in uppercase with underscores as separators. Properties and methods should use camelCase.
```
const MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3;

class MyClass
{
    private $myProperty;

    public function myMethod()
    {
        // Method implementation
    }
}
```

**7.Control Structures**
Place control structure keywords (if, else, for, while, etc.) on a new line with an indentation. Use braces even for single-line statements.
```
if ($condition) {
    // Code block
} else {
    // Code block
}
```

**8.Function and Method Calls**
Do not use spaces between the function or method name and the opening parenthesis. Add a space after commas in argument lists.
```
myFunction($arg1, $arg2);

$object->myMethod($arg1, $arg2);
```

**9.Array Declaration**
Use the array() syntax for array declaration rather than the short [] syntax. Add a space after the comma.
```
$myArray = array('apple', 'banana', 'orange');
```

**10.Doc Comments**
Use doc comments to document classes, methods, and properties. Follow the PHPDoc format for consistency and clarity.
```
/**
 * Short description.
 *
 * @param  string $param1 Description of param1
 * @param  int    $param2 Description of param2
 * @return bool   Description of the return value
 */
public function myMethod($param1, $param2)
{
    // Method implementation
}
```

And one more additional recommendation:
Integrate tools like PHP_CodeSniffer and follow the predefined coding standards (e.g., PSR-2) by creating configuration files. Automate the process of code checking within your development workflow.
```
# Example usage of PHP_CodeSniffer
phpcs --standard=PSR2 path/to/your/code
```

These coding standards help create a unified coding style across PHP projects and facilitate collaboration among developers. It's essential to choose and consistently follow a set of coding standards that align with the project's requirements and the wider PHP community.