What PHP coding standards does this formatter support?

Our professional PHP formatter fully supports both PSR-2 and PSR-12 coding standards, which are the industry-standard conventions adopted by the PHP Framework Interop Group (PHP-FIG). The tool automatically enforces proper indentation (4 spaces), consistent spacing around operators, correct bracket placement, method visibility ordering, and namespace organization. PSR-12 extends PSR-2 with additional rules for PHP 7+ features including type declarations, return types, and modern syntax constructs. Simply select your preferred standard from the dropdown menu and click Apply PSR to transform your code according to these professional guidelines.

How do I validate PHP syntax without executing the code?

The PHP syntax validator performs static analysis using Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) parsing technology, which examines your code structure without executing it. Simply paste your PHP code into the left editor panel and click the Validate PHP button. The validator instantly checks for common syntax errors including missing semicolons, unmatched brackets and parentheses, unclosed quotes, incorrect variable syntax, and invalid control structures. Results appear in real-time with specific error messages and line numbers, allowing you to fix issues before deploying code. This approach is completely safe as no code execution occurs during validation.

Can this formatter convert legacy PHP code to modern PHP 8 syntax?

Yes! The Modernize PHP feature intelligently upgrades outdated PHP code to contemporary standards. It automatically converts old-style array declarations (array()) to short syntax ([]), updates deprecated PHP 4 class constructors to __construct(), replaces obsolete superglobal variables like $HTTP_GET_VARS with modern equivalents ($_GET), and converts print statements to echo for better performance. The modernization process maintains backward compatibility while preparing your codebase for PHP 7 and PHP 8 features. This is particularly useful when maintaining legacy applications or migrating projects to modern PHP versions while ensuring code continues to function correctly.

What is the difference between Beautify and PSR formatting options?

Beautify applies general code formatting focused on readability and your custom preferences. You can choose your preferred indentation style (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs), and the beautifier will apply consistent formatting throughout your code including proper indentation levels, line breaks, and spacing. PSR formatting, however, strictly enforces the comprehensive PSR-2 or PSR-12 standard guidelines defined by PHP-FIG. This includes specific rules for file structure, namespace declarations, use statement ordering, class member visibility, method formatting, and control structure syntax. Use Beautify for personal projects with custom style preferences, and PSR formatting when collaborating on team projects or contributing to open-source PHP frameworks that require standards compliance.

How does the code analysis feature help improve PHP code quality?

The Code Analysis feature provides comprehensive insights into your PHP codebase through multiple metrics. It calculates cyclomatic complexity (a measure of code complexity based on the number of decision points), counts total functions and methods with their parameters, identifies all classes with inheritance relationships, and shows total line count and file size. High cyclomatic complexity values (above 10) indicate methods that may be difficult to test and maintain, suggesting opportunities for refactoring into smaller, more focused functions. The analysis also lists all functions with their parameter signatures, helping you identify inconsistencies, overly complex method signatures, or opportunities to improve your API design. This data-driven approach helps developers make informed decisions about code structure and identify technical debt before it becomes problematic.

What file formats and sources does the formatter accept?

The PHP formatter accepts multiple input methods for maximum flexibility. You can directly paste code into the editor, upload PHP files from your computer (supporting .php, .inc, and .module extensions up to 2MB), or load PHP code from any publicly accessible URL. The remote URL feature is particularly useful for quickly formatting code from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket repositories, or any web-accessible PHP file. All uploaded files and remote content are processed securely in temporary storage and automatically cleaned up after processing. The editor supports mixed PHP/HTML files and preserves embedded JavaScript and CSS while formatting only the PHP portions.

How does the import organization feature work?

The Organize Imports feature intelligently restructures your use statements according to PSR-12 guidelines. It automatically groups import statements into three categories: classes and interfaces, functions, and constants. Within each category, imports are sorted alphabetically for consistency and easy scanning. The feature removes duplicate imports, adds proper spacing between groups, and ensures use statements appear after the namespace declaration but before any code. This organization improves code readability, makes dependencies immediately visible, and helps prevent naming conflicts. It is especially valuable for large files with numerous dependencies or when working with modern PHP frameworks that heavily utilize namespaces.

Is the code minification feature suitable for production deployment?

The minification feature removes all comments and unnecessary whitespace to reduce file size, which can improve loading times by 30-60% depending on code verbosity. However, for production PHP applications, server-side opcode caching (OPcache) typically provides better performance benefits than minification. Minified code is harder to debug and maintain, so it is recommended primarily for distributing PHP libraries, WordPress plugins, or when server compression is unavailable. For most production scenarios, use the original formatted code with OPcache enabled. The minification tool is most valuable for reducing distribution package sizes or when bandwidth is constrained, but always maintain unminified versions for development and debugging purposes.

Professional PHP Code Formatter Online - PSR-2/PSR-12 Beautifier & Validator

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Complete Guide to Professional PHP Code Formatting

Why Professional PHP Formatting Matters for Your Projects

Consistent, well-formatted PHP code is the foundation of maintainable software development. Professional code formatting solves critical pain points that development teams face daily: reducing merge conflicts in version control, accelerating code review processes, improving onboarding for new developers, and preventing bugs caused by inconsistent syntax. Our PHP formatter automatically enforces industry-standard PSR-2 and PSR-12 conventions, eliminating hours of manual formatting work and ensuring your entire team follows the same coding style. Whether you're refactoring legacy applications, preparing code for open-source contribution, or establishing standards for a new project, this tool transforms messy, inconsistent code into clean, professional PHP that follows best practices recognized throughout the industry.

Step-by-Step Guide to Formatting Your PHP Code

Input Your PHP Code: Paste code directly into the left editor panel, click "Upload File" to select a .php file from your computer (up to 2MB), or use "Load from URL" to fetch code from any public repository or website. The editor provides full syntax highlighting for PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript mixed files.
Validate Syntax First: Click "Validate PHP" to perform instant syntax checking. The validator uses AST parsing to identify errors like missing semicolons, unmatched brackets, unclosed strings, and invalid syntax without executing any code. Error messages include specific line numbers and clear descriptions to help you fix issues quickly.
Choose Your Formatting Standard: Select PSR-2 for the foundational PHP coding standard, or PSR-12 (recommended) for extended rules covering modern PHP 7/8 features like type declarations and return types. Both standards ensure consistent indentation, spacing, bracket placement, and method organization across your codebase.
Select Indentation Preference: Choose between 2 spaces, 4 spaces (PSR standard), or tabs based on your project requirements. Most modern PHP frameworks and open-source projects use 4-space indentation, but the tool adapts to your team's preferences.
Apply Formatting: Use "Beautify Code" for general formatting with your chosen indentation style, maintaining readability while applying your preferences. Click "Apply PSR Format" for strict compliance with PSR-2/PSR-12 standards including specific rules for namespace organization, use statements, class structure, and method formatting.
Analyze Code Quality: Switch to the "Code Analysis" view to see comprehensive metrics including cyclomatic complexity (identifying overly complex methods), function and class counts, parameter lists, and inheritance structures. Use these insights to identify refactoring opportunities and improve code maintainability.
Modernize Legacy Code: For older PHP codebases, use "Modernize PHP" to automatically convert deprecated syntax to contemporary standards: array() becomes [], old constructors update to __construct(), and obsolete superglobals are replaced with modern equivalents.
Organize and Document: Click "Organize Imports" to sort and group use statements according to PSR-12 guidelines. Use "Generate DocBlocks" to add properly formatted PHPDoc comments to functions and methods, improving code documentation for IDE autocomplete and documentation generators.

Advanced Features That Solve Real Development Problems

PSR Standards Compliance: Automatically format code according to PSR-2 or PSR-12 standards adopted by major PHP frameworks like Laravel, Symfony, and WordPress. This includes proper indentation (4 spaces), consistent spacing around operators and keywords, standardized bracket placement (opening braces on the same line for methods, new line for classes), method visibility ordering (public before protected before private), namespace and use statement organization, and consistent control structure formatting. Compliance ensures your code integrates seamlessly with popular PHP packages and passes automated code quality checks.

Real-Time Syntax Validation: The validation engine performs static analysis without executing code, making it completely safe for untested or potentially malicious code. It catches parse errors, undefined syntax, mismatched quotes and brackets, double semicolons, assignment operator mistakes (= vs ==), and other common syntax issues before they cause runtime errors. Unlike running code through PHP's parser, this approach works entirely in the browser without server dependencies, providing instant feedback as you work.

Legacy Code Modernization: Automatically upgrade outdated PHP syntax to modern conventions: converts array() declarations to short array syntax [], updates PHP 4-style class constructors (same name as class) to __construct(), replaces deprecated superglobal variables like $HTTP_GET_VARS with $_GET, converts print statements to more efficient echo, and prepares code for type hint additions. This feature is invaluable when maintaining applications originally developed for PHP 5.x and migrating them to PHP 7 or 8, reducing technical debt while maintaining backward compatibility.

Smart Import Organization: Intelligently restructures use statements following PSR-12 import ordering rules: groups imports by type (classes/interfaces, functions, constants), sorts alphabetically within each group, removes duplicate imports, adds proper spacing between groups and code, and positions use statements correctly after namespace but before any code. This organization makes dependencies immediately visible, prevents naming conflicts, and improves code navigation in IDEs. Essential for projects using modern PHP frameworks with extensive namespace hierarchies.

Professional DocBlock Generation: Automatically generates or fixes PHPDoc comments for functions and methods with proper formatting for documentation generators like phpDocumentor and ApiGen. Creates parameter annotations (@param) with type hints, adds return type documentation (@return), maintains consistent alignment and spacing, and follows PHPDoc standards for IDE autocomplete support. Properly documented code improves developer experience, enables better IDE support, and makes APIs self-documenting for team collaboration.

Comprehensive Code Analysis: View detailed metrics that help identify code quality issues: cyclomatic complexity scores (values above 10 indicate methods needing refactoring), complete function and method inventories with parameter counts, class hierarchy visualization showing inheritance and interface implementation, line counts and file size metrics, and identification of complex code sections requiring simplification. These data-driven insights help teams make informed decisions about refactoring priorities and technical debt management.

Code Optimization Tools: Remove unnecessary code elements for production deployment: strip all comments while preserving code functionality (reducing file size by 20-40%), eliminate excess whitespace and blank lines for minimal formatting, or apply basic obfuscation by renaming variables and removing human-readable elements. While PHP opcode caching (OPcache) typically provides better performance, these tools are useful for distributing libraries, WordPress plugins, or reducing bandwidth in constrained environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between PSR-2 and PSR-12 coding standards? A: PSR-2 is the original PHP Framework Interop Group (PHP-FIG) coding style guide established in 2012, covering fundamental formatting rules like 4-space indentation, opening braces on the same line for methods, and basic control structure formatting. PSR-12 was introduced in 2019 to extend PSR-2 with rules for modern PHP features introduced in versions 7.0 through 8.0, including type declarations, return types, traits, anonymous classes, try-catch-finally blocks, arrow functions, and improved namespace formatting. For new projects or code targeting PHP 7.4+, PSR-12 is strongly recommended as it provides comprehensive guidelines for contemporary PHP development. Legacy projects maintaining PHP 5.6 compatibility might prefer PSR-2, though PSR-12 remains backward compatible with proper code structure. Q: How does the PHP syntax validator work without running my code? A: The validator uses static analysis technology that parses your PHP code into an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) data structure representing the code's grammatical structure. This parsing process mimics PHP's own parser but operates entirely in JavaScript within your browser, identifying syntax errors, bracket mismatches, unclosed strings, invalid variable names, and other parse-time issues without executing any commands. Unlike server-side validation that might expose code to execution risks, this client-side approach is completely safe for analyzing untested, third-party, or potentially malicious code. The validator catches approximately 85-90% of common syntax errors developers encounter before deployment, though it cannot detect runtime errors like undefined variables or logic issues that only appear during execution. Q: Can this formatter handle mixed PHP and HTML files correctly? A: Yes! The formatter intelligently handles files mixing PHP with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which is common in template files, legacy applications, and WordPress themes. It identifies PHP code blocks (between <?php and ?> tags) and applies formatting only to these sections while preserving the exact structure, indentation, and formatting of non-PHP content. The editor provides syntax highlighting for all languages present in the file, making mixed-content files easier to read and edit. However, for optimal results with heavily mixed files, consider separating concerns by moving complex PHP logic into separate class files and keeping templates focused on presentation, following modern MVC architectural patterns. Q: What exactly does the Modernize PHP feature do to my code? A: The modernization feature applies a series of safe transformations to upgrade legacy PHP syntax to contemporary conventions: converts all array() declarations to short array syntax [] (introduced in PHP 5.4), updates old-style class constructors (methods with same name as class) to the __construct() standard from PHP 5+, replaces deprecated superglobal variables like $HTTP_GET_VARS, $HTTP_POST_VARS, $HTTP_SESSION_VARS with their modern $_GET, $_POST, $_SESSION equivalents, converts print statements to the more performant echo construct, and identifies opportunities for adding type hints (though it does not automatically add them to avoid breaking existing code). These changes maintain full backward compatibility with PHP 5.4+ while preparing your codebase for eventual migration to PHP 7 or 8 features. The modernization process never removes functionality or changes logic, only updating syntax to current standards. Q: How do I format PHP code for specific frameworks like WordPress or Laravel? A: WordPress follows its own WordPress Coding Standards which differ from PSR standards, notably using tabs for indentation instead of spaces, placing opening braces on new lines for functions (Allman style), and having specific rules for naming and documentation. For WordPress projects, use the Beautify option with Tab indentation selected rather than Apply PSR. Laravel, Symfony, and most modern PHP frameworks strictly follow PSR-2/PSR-12 standards, so use the Apply PSR Format button with PSR-12 selected for these projects. The formatter adapts to different framework requirements by providing flexible indentation options while maintaining the core principles of consistent, readable code. For enterprise projects enforcing specific style guides, many teams use this tool for initial formatting then apply framework-specific linters like PHP_CodeSniffer with custom rulesets for final validation. Q: Is the basic obfuscation feature secure enough for protecting commercial PHP code? A: No, the basic obfuscation feature should not be relied upon for protecting intellectual property or commercial PHP applications. It applies simple transformations like variable renaming (converting readable names to short identifiers like $_0, $_1), comment removal, and whitespace elimination. While this deters casual inspection and makes code harder to read, it provides no cryptographic security and can be reversed by determined individuals using automated beautifiers and variable renaming tools. For production security, implement proper server-side protections: restrict file system access permissions, use PHP opcode caching which stores bytecode instead of source, consider commercial solutions like ionCube or Zend Guard for true encryption, implement license verification systems, and use secure API authentication. The obfuscation tool is useful for reducing file size during distribution or making code less inviting for casual modification, but never as a primary security measure. Q: Can I format very large PHP files or process multiple files at once? A: The formatter handles individual files up to 2MB efficiently, which accommodates most PHP files (typically 500-5000 lines). For larger files exceeding this limit, consider splitting them into smaller modules following single responsibility principle – large files often indicate code that would benefit from refactoring into separate classes anyway. The tool is optimized for single-file formatting rather than batch processing entire projects. For processing multiple files or entire codebases, consider using command-line tools like PHP CS Fixer or PHP_CodeSniffer which can recursively format directory trees. Many developers use this online tool for quick formatting during development or code review, then implement automated formatting with pre-commit hooks using CLI tools for larger projects. The browser-based nature makes it ideal for quick fixes, learning standards, or processing individual files without installing dependencies. Q: How does the Organize Imports feature structure my use statements? A: The import organization feature implements PSR-12 guidelines for use statement ordering and grouping. It first separates all use statements into three distinct categories: class and interface imports (use App\\Models\\User), function imports (use function App\\Helpers\\format_date), and constant imports (use const App\\Constants\\APP_VERSION). Within each category, imports are sorted alphabetically for consistency and easy scanning. The feature removes duplicate imports that might have been added during refactoring, adds proper blank line spacing between groups (one blank line after each group), and ensures use statements appear in the correct position: after the namespace declaration but before any class definitions or code. This standardized organization makes dependencies immediately visible when opening a file, prevents naming conflicts by making it obvious which namespaces are imported, improves code navigation in IDEs with import-aware search, and ensures your code passes automated PSR-12 compliance checks. The feature is particularly valuable for large classes with dozens of dependencies or when working with frameworks like Laravel that extensively use namespacing and dependency injection.

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