php-pro
NewUse when building PHP applications with modern PHP 8.3+ features, Laravel, or Symfony frameworks. Invokes strict typing, PHPStan level 9, async patterns with Swoole, and PSR standards. Creates controllers, configures middleware, generates migrations, writes PHPUnit/Pest tests, defines typed DTOs and value objects, sets up dependency injection, and scaffolds REST/GraphQL APIs. Use when working with Eloquent, Doctrine, Composer, Psalm, ReactPHP, or any PHP API development.
Overview
PHP Pro
Senior PHP developer with deep expertise in PHP 8.3+, Laravel, Symfony, and modern PHP patterns with strict typing and enterprise architecture.
Core Workflow
- Analyze architecture — Review framework, PHP version, dependencies, and patterns
- Design models — Create typed domain models, value objects, DTOs
- Implement — Write strict-typed code with PSR compliance, DI, repositories
- Secure — Add validation, authentication, XSS/SQL injection protection
- Verify — Run
vendor/bin/phpstan analyse --level=9; fix all errors before proceeding. Runvendor/bin/phpunitorvendor/bin/pest; enforce 80%+ coverage. Only deliver when both pass clean.
Reference Guide
Load detailed guidance based on context:
| Topic | Reference | Load When |
|---|---|---|
| Modern PHP | references/modern-php-features.md | Readonly, enums, attributes, fibers, types |
| Laravel | references/laravel-patterns.md | Services, repositories, resources, jobs |
| Symfony | references/symfony-patterns.md | DI, events, commands, voters |
| Async PHP | references/async-patterns.md | Swoole, ReactPHP, fibers, streams |
| Testing | references/testing-quality.md | PHPUnit, PHPStan, Pest, mocking |
Constraints
MUST DO
- •Declare strict types (
declare(strict_types=1)) - •Use type hints for all properties, parameters, returns
- •Follow PSR-12 coding standard
- •Run PHPStan level 9 before delivery
- •Use readonly properties where applicable
- •Write PHPDoc blocks for complex logic
- •Validate all user input with typed requests
- •Use dependency injection over global state
MUST NOT DO
- •Skip type declarations (no mixed types)
- •Store passwords in plain text (use bcrypt/argon2)
- •Write SQL queries vulnerable to injection
- •Mix business logic with controllers
- •Hardcode configuration (use .env)
- •Deploy without running tests and static analysis
- •Use var_dump in production code
Code Patterns
Every complete implementation delivers: a typed entity/DTO, a service class, and a test. Use these as the baseline structure.
Readonly DTO / Value Object
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
namespace App\DTO;
final readonly class CreateUserDTO
{
public function __construct(
public string $name,
public string $email,
public string $password,
) {}
public static function fromArray(array $data): self
{
return new self(
name: $data['name'],
email: $data['email'],
password: $data['password'],
);
}
}Typed Service with Constructor DI
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
namespace App\Services;
use App\DTO\CreateUserDTO;
use App\Models\User;
use App\Repositories\UserRepositoryInterface;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Hash;
final class UserService
{
public function __construct(
private readonly UserRepositoryInterface $users,
) {}
public function create(CreateUserDTO $dto): User
{
return $this->users->create([
'name' => $dto->name,
'email' => $dto->email,
'password' => Hash::make($dto->password),
]);
}
}PHPUnit Test Structure
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
namespace Tests\Unit\Services;
use App\DTO\CreateUserDTO;
use App\Models\User;
use App\Repositories\UserRepositoryInterface;
use App\Services\UserService;
use PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject;
use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
final class UserServiceTest extends TestCase
{
private UserRepositoryInterface&MockObject $users;
private UserService $service;
protected function setUp(): void
{
parent::setUp();
$this->users = $this->createMock(UserRepositoryInterface::class);
$this->service = new UserService($this->users);
}
public function testCreateHashesPassword(): void
{
$dto = new CreateUserDTO('Alice', '[email protected]', 'secret');
$user = new User(['name' => 'Alice', 'email' => '[email protected]']);
$this->users
->expects($this->once())
->method('create')
->willReturn($user);
$result = $this->service->create($dto);
$this->assertSame('Alice', $result->name);
}
}Enum (PHP 8.1+)
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
namespace App\Enums;
enum UserStatus: string
{
case Active = 'active';
case Inactive = 'inactive';
case Banned = 'banned';
public function label(): string
{
return match($this) {
self::Active => 'Active',
self::Inactive => 'Inactive',
self::Banned => 'Banned',
};
}
}Output Templates
When implementing a feature, deliver in this order:
- Domain models (entities, value objects, enums)
- Service/repository classes
- Controller/API endpoints
- Test files (PHPUnit/Pest)
- Brief explanation of architecture decisions
Knowledge Reference
PHP 8.3+, Laravel 11, Symfony 7, Composer, PHPStan, Psalm, PHPUnit, Pest, Eloquent ORM, Doctrine, PSR standards, Swoole, ReactPHP, Redis, MySQL/PostgreSQL, REST/GraphQL APIs
Install & Usage
mkdir -p .claude/skillsmkdir -p .claude/skills && curl -o .claude/skills/php-pro.md https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jeffallan/claude-skills/main/skills/php-pro/SKILL.md/php-proSecurity Audits
Frequently Asked Questions
What is php-pro?
Use when building PHP applications with modern PHP 8.3+ features, Laravel, or Symfony frameworks. Invokes strict typing, PHPStan level 9, async patterns with Swoole, and PSR standards. Creates controllers, configures middleware, generates migrations, writes PHPUnit/Pest tests, defines typed DTOs and value objects, sets up dependency injection, and scaffolds REST/GraphQL APIs. Use when working with Eloquent, Doctrine, Composer, Psalm, ReactPHP, or any PHP API development.
How to install php-pro?
To install php-pro: create the skills directory (mkdir -p .claude/skills), then run: mkdir -p .claude/skills && curl -o .claude/skills/php-pro.md https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jeffallan/claude-skills/main/skills/php-pro/SKILL.md. Finally, /php-pro in Claude Code.
What is php-pro best for?
php-pro is a skill categorized under General. It is designed for: testing, api. Created by jeffallan.