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Customisable Sniff Properties

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Greg Sherwood edited this page Jan 18, 2021 · 41 revisions

The behaviour of some sniffs can be changed by setting certain sniff properties in your ruleset.xml file. This page lists the sniff properties that are available for customisation. For properties that were added after ruleset support was introduced in version 1.3.0, the first stable version that made the property available is listed.

For more information about changing sniff behaviour by customising your ruleset, see the Annotated ruleset.

Table of contents

Generic Sniffs

Generic.Arrays.ArrayIndent

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 3.2.0

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of keys in a multi-line array declaration. By default, this sniff ensures that each key is indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="Generic.Arrays.ArrayIndent">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.CodeAnalysis.UnusedFunctionParameter

Property Name Type Default Available Since
ignoreTypeHints array [] 3.6.0

This sniff ensures that parameters passed to a function are used within that function, and warns if they are not. Sometimes, parameters can be left unused when doing something like implementing an interface, such as with the following code:

public function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output): int
{
    $output->writeln('Hello World!');
}

If the InputInterface parameter does not need to be used, you can tell the sniff to ignore all variables with that type hint by setting the ignoreTypeHints property.

<rule ref="Generic.CodeAnalysis.UnusedFunctionParameter">
    <properties>
         <property name="ignoreTypeHints" type="array">
            <element value="InputInterface"/>
        </property>
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.ControlStructures.InlineControlStructure

Property Name Type Default Available Since
error bool true -

If the error property is set to false, a warning will be thrown for violations instead of an error.

<rule ref="Generic.ControlStructures.InlineControlStructure">
    <properties>
        <property name="error" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Debug.ClosureLinter

Property Name Type Default Available Since
errorCodes array [] -
ignoreCodes array [] -

The Generic.Debug.ClosureLinter sniff runs the Google Closure Linter tool over JavaScript files and reports errors that the tool finds. All found errors are reported as PHP_CodeSniffer warnings by default.

There are two configurable options:

  • errorCodes : a list of error codes that should show as errors instead of warnings
  • ignoreCodes : a list of error codes that should be ignored

Note: The error codes accepted by this sniff are the 4-digit codes generated by the gjslint tool and displayed in the warning messages produced by this sniff.

<rule ref="Generic.Debug.ClosureLinter">
    <properties>
        <property name="errorCodes" type="array">
            <element value="0210"/>
        </property>
        <property name="ignoreCodes" type="array">
            <element value="0001"/>
            <element value="0110"/>
            <element value="0240"/>
        </property>
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Debug.ESLint

Property Name Type Default Available Since
configFile string - 2.9.0

The Generic.Debug.ESLint sniff runs the ESLint tool over JavaScript files and reports errors that the tool finds. All found violations are reported as either PHP_CodeSniffer errors or warnings based on the severity level that the ESLint tool provides.

The sniff will attempt to auto-discover an ESLint config file in the current directory, but a config file path can also be specified by setting the configFile property.

<rule ref="Generic.Debug.ESLint">
    <properties>
        <property name="configFile" value="/path/to/.eslintrc.json"/>
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Files.LineEndings

Property Name Type Default Available Since
eolChar string \n -

This sniff ensures that files use a specific line ending, which can be customised by setting the eolChar property.

<rule ref="Generic.Files.LineEndings">
    <properties>
        <property name="eolChar" value="\r\n" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Files.LineLength

Property Name Type Default Available Since
lineLimit int 80 -
absoluteLineLimit int 100 -
ignoreComments bool false 3.1.0

This sniff checks all lines in a file and generates warnings if they are over lineLimit characters in length and errors if they are over absoluteLineLimit in length. These properties can be used to set the threshold at which errors are reported.

Note: The value of the lineLimit property should be less than or equal to the value of the absoluteLineLimit property.

<!--
 Warn about lines longer than 100 chars,
 and error for lines longer than 135 chars.
-->
<rule ref="Generic.Files.LineLength">
    <properties>
        <property name="lineLimit" value="100" />
        <property name="absoluteLineLimit" value="135" />
    </properties>
</rule>

If errors are not required, the value of absoluteLineLimit can be set to zero.

<!-- Warn about lines longer than 135 chars, and never error. -->
<rule ref="Generic.Files.LineLength">
    <properties>
        <property name="lineLimit" value="135" />
        <property name="absoluteLineLimit" value="0" />
    </properties>
</rule>

If the ignoreComments property is set to true, comments at the end of a line will be ignored when calculating line lengths. This also ensures that no error or warning will be thrown for a line that only contains a comment, no matter how long the line is.

<rule ref="Generic.Files.LineLength">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreComments" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Formatting.MultipleStatementAlignment

Property Name Type Default Available Since Removed In
alignAtEnd bool true 3.6.0
error bool false - 4.0.0
maxPadding int 1000 -

This sniff checks the alignment of assignment operators. If there are multiple adjacent assignments, it checks that the assignment operators of each assignment are aligned. By default, the sniff enforces that the end of the assignment operators are aligned, ensuring that the assigned values are aligned. This formats code like this:

$foo  = 'foo';
$foo .= 'bar';

If you prefer the start of the assignment tokens to be aligned, you can set the alignAtEnd sniff property to false.

<rule ref="Generic.Formatting.MultipleStatementAlignment">
    <properties>
        <property name="alignAtEnd" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Code will now be formatted like this:

$foo = 'foo';
$foo .= 'bar';

The difference in alignment between two adjacent assignments is occasionally quite large, so aligning assignment operators would create extremely long lines. By setting the maxPadding property, you can configure the maximum amount of padding required to align the assignment with the surrounding assignments before the alignment is ignored and no warnings will be generated.

<rule ref="Generic.Formatting.MultipleStatementAlignment">
    <properties>
        <property name="maxPadding" value="50" />
    </properties>
</rule>

If the error property is set to true, an error will be thrown for violations instead of a warning.

<rule ref="Generic.Formatting.MultipleStatementAlignment">
    <properties>
        <property name="error" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Formatting.SpaceAfterCast

Property Name Type Default Available Since
spacing int 1 3.4.0
ignoreNewlines bool false 3.4.0

This sniff checks the spacing after a type cast. By default, the sniff ensures there is one space after the cast, as shown in the following code snippet:

$var = (int) $foo;

Another common way of type casting is to follow the cast with no space, as shown in the following code snippet:

$var = (int)$foo;

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the spacing property to 0, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="Generic.Formatting.SpaceAfterCast">
    <properties>
        <property name="spacing" value="0" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Sometimes complex statements are broken over multiple lines for readability. By default, this sniff will generate an error if the type cast is followed by a newline. Setting the ignoreNewlines property to true will allow newline characters after a type cast.

<rule ref="Generic.Formatting.SpaceAfterCast">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreNewlines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Formatting.SpaceAfterNot

Property Name Type Default Available Since
spacing int 1 3.4.0
ignoreNewlines bool false 3.4.0

This sniff checks the spacing after a ! operator. By default, the sniff ensures there is one space after the operator, as shown in the following code snippet:

if (! $foo) {
}

Another common way of using the ! operator is to follow it with no space, as shown in the following code snippet:

if (!$foo) {
}

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the spacing property to 0, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="Generic.Formatting.SpaceAfterNot">
    <properties>
        <property name="spacing" value="0" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Sometimes complex statements are broken over multiple lines for readability, as shown in the following code snippet:

if (!
    ($foo || $bar)
) {
}

By default, this sniff will generate an error if the ! operator is followed by a newline. Setting the ignoreNewlines property to true will allow newline characters after a ! operator.

<rule ref="Generic.Formatting.SpaceAfterNot">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreNewlines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Functions.OpeningFunctionBraceBsdAllman

Property Name Type Default Available Since
checkFunctions bool true 2.3.0
checkClosures bool false 2.3.0

The sniff checks the position of the opening brace of a function and/or closure (anonymous function). The sniff only checks functions by default, but the checkFunctions and checkClosures properties can be used to have the sniff check one or both of these code blocks.

<!-- Don't check function braces, but check closure braces. -->
<rule ref="Generic.Functions.OpeningFunctionBraceBsdAllman">
    <properties>
        <property name="checkFunctions" value="false" />
        <property name="checkClosures" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Functions.OpeningFunctionBraceKernighanRitchie

Property Name Type Default Available Since
checkFunctions bool true 2.3.0
checkClosures bool false 2.3.0

The sniff checks the position of the opening brace of a function and/or closure (anonymous function). The sniff only checks functions by default, but the checkFunctions and checkClosures properties can be used to have the sniff check one or both of these code blocks.

<!-- Don't check function braces, but check closure braces. -->
<rule ref="Generic.Functions.OpeningFunctionBraceKernighanRitchie">
    <properties>
        <property name="checkFunctions" value="false" />
        <property name="checkClosures" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Metrics.CyclomaticComplexity

Property Name Type Default Available Since
complexity int 10 -
absoluteComplexity int 20 -

This sniff checks the cyclomatic complexity for functions by counting the different paths the function includes.

There are two configurable options:

  • complexity : the cyclomatic complexity above which this sniff will generate warnings
  • absoluteComplexity : the cyclomatic complexity above which this sniff will generate errors

Note: The value of the complexity property should be less than or equal to the value of the absoluteComplexity property.

<rule ref="Generic.Metrics.CyclomaticComplexity">
    <properties>
        <property name="complexity" value="15" />
        <property name="absoluteComplexity" value="30" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Metrics.NestingLevel

Property Name Type Default Available Since
nestingLevel int 5 -
absoluteNestingLevel int 10 -

This sniff checks how many level deep that code is nested within a function.

There are two configurable options:

  • nestingLevel : the nesting level above which this sniff will generate warnings
  • absoluteNestingLevel : the nesting level above which this sniff will generate errors
<rule ref="Generic.Metrics.NestingLevel">
    <properties>
        <property name="nestingLevel" value="8" />
        <property name="absoluteNestingLevel" value="12" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.NamingConventions.CamelCapsFunctionName

Property Name Type Default Available Since
strict bool true 1.3.5

This sniff ensures function and method names are in CamelCaps.

Strictly speaking, a name cannot have two capital letters next to each other in CamelCaps format. By setting the strict property to false, the sniff applies the rule more leniently and allows for two capital letters next to each other in function and method names.

<rule ref="Generic.NamingConventions.CamelCapsFunctionName">
    <properties>
        <property name="strict" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions

Property Name Type Default Available Since
forbiddenFunctions array [sizeof=>count,delete=>unset] 2.0.0
error bool true -

This sniff discourages the use of alias functions that are kept in PHP for compatibility with older versions. The sniff can be used to forbid the use of any function by setting the forbiddenFunctions property. The property is defined as an array, with the keys being the names of the functions to forbid and the values being the names of suggested alternative functions to use instead. If no alternative function exists (i.e., the function should never be used) specify null as the value.

<rule ref="Generic.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions">
    <properties>
        <property name="forbiddenFunctions" type="array">
            <element key="print" value="echo"/>
            <element key="create_function" value="null"/>
        </property>
     </properties>
</rule>

If the error property is set to false, a warning will be thrown for violations instead of an error.

<rule ref="Generic.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions">
    <properties>
        <property name="error" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.PHP.NoSilencedErrors

Property Name Type Default Available Since
error bool true -

If the error property is set to false, a warning will be thrown for violations instead of an error.

<rule ref="Generic.PHP.NoSilencedErrors">
    <properties>
        <property name="error" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.Strings.UnnecessaryStringConcat

Property Name Type Default Available Since Removed In
allowMultiline bool false 2.3.4
error bool true - 4.0.0

This sniff checks that two strings using the same quoting style are not concatenated. Sometimes long strings are broken over multiple lines to work within a maximum line length, but this sniff will generate an error for these cases by default. Setting the allowMultiline property to true will get the sniff to allow string concatenation if the string covers multiple lines.

<rule ref="Generic.Strings.UnnecessaryStringConcat">
    <properties>
        <property name="allowMultiline" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

If the error property is set to false, a warning will be thrown for violations instead of an error.

<rule ref="Generic.Strings.UnnecessaryStringConcat">
    <properties>
        <property name="error" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.WhiteSpace.ArbitraryParenthesesSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
spacing int 0 3.3.0
ignoreNewlines bool false 3.3.0

This sniff checks the padding inside parenthesis that are not being used by function declarations, function calls, or control structures. By default, the sniff ensures there are zero spaces inside the parenthesis, as shown in the following code snippet:

$foo = ($bar !== 'bar');

Another common way of padding parenthesis is to use a single space, as shown in the following code snippet:

$foo = ( $bar !== 'bar' );

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the spacing property to 1, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.ArbitraryParenthesesSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="spacing" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Sometimes long statements are broken over multiple lines to work within a maximum line length, but this sniff will generate an error for these cases by default. Setting the ignoreNewlines property to true will allow newline characters inside parenthesis, and any required padding for alignment.

<rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.ArbitraryParenthesesSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreNewlines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 -
exact bool false -
tabIndent bool false 2.0.0
ignoreIndentationTokens array [] 1.4.8

This sniff checks that code blocks are indented correctly. By default, this sniff ensures that code blocks are indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

The exact property is used to determine whether an indent is treated as an exact number or as a minimum amount. By default, code blocks must be indented at least indent spaces from the last code block. If exact is set to true, code blocks must be indented exactly indent spaces from the last code block.

Note: Enforcing exact indent checking is generally not advised because it doesn't allow for any flexibility when indenting and aligning code. It is almost always better to use the default value and then allow other sniffs to enforce specific indenting rules.

<rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent">
    <properties>
        <property name="exact" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

By default, this sniff enforces the use of spaces for indentation and also uses spaces when fixing the indentation of code blocks. If you prefer using tabs, you can set the tabIndent property to true.

Note: The size of each tab is important, so it should be specified using the --tab-width CLI argument or by adding <arg name="tab-width" value="4"/> to your ruleset. This sniff will use this value when checking and fixing indents.

<!-- Tabs should represent 4 spaces. -->
<arg name="tab-width" value="4"/>
...
<!-- Indent using tabs. -->
<rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent">
    <properties>
        <property name="tabIndent" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Setting the ignoreIndentationTokens property provides the sniff with a list of tokens that do not need to be checked for indentation. This is commonly used to ignore indentation for code structures such as comments and here/nowdocs.

<rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreIndentationTokens" type="array">
            <element value="T_COMMENT"/>
            <element value="T_DOC_COMMENT_OPEN_TAG"/>
        </property>
    </properties>
</rule>

Generic.WhiteSpace.SpreadOperatorSpacingAfter

Property Name Type Default Available Since
spacing int 0 3.5.0
ignoreNewlines bool false 3.5.0

This sniff checks the spacing after a ... operator. By default, the sniff ensures there is no space after the operator, but you can enforce a fixed number of spaces by setting the spacing property.

<rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.SpreadOperatorSpacingAfter">
    <properties>
        <property name="spacing" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

If you want to allow a newline after the operator, you can set the ignoreNewlines property to true.

<rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.SpreadOperatorSpacingAfter">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreNewlines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR Sniffs

PEAR.Commenting.FunctionComment

Property Name Type Default Available Since
minimumVisibility string private 3.6.0

This sniff verifies that functions are documented using a docblock. By default, all functions are checked regardless of their visibility, but the sniff can be told to ignore private and protected functions using the minimumVisibility property. When set to protected, only public and protected functions will be checked. When set to public, only public functions will be checked.

<rule ref="PEAR.Commenting.FunctionComment">
    <properties>
        <property name="minimumVisibility" value="public" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR Sniffs

PEAR.ControlStructures.ControlSignature

Property Name Type Default Available Since
ignoreComments bool true 1.4.0

Note: The ignoreComments property is inherited from the AbstractPattern sniff.

This sniff verifies that control structures match a specific pattern of whitespace and bracket placement. By default, comments placed within the declaration will generate an error, but the sniff can be told to ignore comments by setting the ignoreComments property to true.

<rule ref="PEAR.ControlStructures.ControlSignature">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreComments" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR.ControlStructures.MultiLineCondition

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.4.7

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of a condition that has been split over multiple lines. By default, this sniff ensures that each line of the condition is indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PEAR.ControlStructures.MultiLineCondition">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR.Formatting.MultiLineAssignment

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.4.7

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of an assignment that has been split over multiple lines. By default, this sniff ensures that the line with the assignment operator is indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PEAR.Formatting.MultiLineAssignment">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR.Functions.FunctionCallSignature

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.3.4
allowMultipleArguments bool true 1.3.6
requiredSpacesAfterOpen int 0 1.5.2
requiredSpacesBeforeClose int 0 1.5.2

One of the rules this sniff enforces is that function calls have the correct padding inside their bracketed argument lists. By default, the sniff ensures there are zero spaces following the opening bracket, and zero spaces preceding the closing bracket, as shown in the following code snippet:

$foo = getValue($a, $b, $c);

Another common way of padding function calls is to use a single space, as shown in the following code snippet:

$foo = getValue( $a, $b, $c );

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the requiredSpacesAfterOpen and requiredSpacesBeforeClose properties to 1, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="PEAR.Functions.FunctionCallSignature">
    <properties>
        <property name="requiredSpacesAfterOpen" value="1" />
        <property name="requiredSpacesBeforeClose" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

This sniff also enforces the formatting of multi-line function calls. By default, multiple arguments can appear on each line, as shown in the following code snippet:

$returnValue = foo(
    $a, $b, $c,
    $d, $e
);

Another common way of defining multi-line function calls is to have one argument per line, as shown in the following code snippet:

$returnValue = foo(
    $a,
    $b,
    $c,
    $d,
    $e
);

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the allowMultipleArguments property to false.

<rule ref="PEAR.Functions.FunctionCallSignature">
    <properties>
        <property name="allowMultipleArguments" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

By default, this sniff ensures that each line in a multi-line function call is indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PEAR.Functions.FunctionCallSignature">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR.Functions.FunctionDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.4.7

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of each function argument in a multi-line function declaration. By default, this sniff ensures that each line is indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PEAR.Functions.FunctionDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR.WhiteSpace.ObjectOperatorIndent

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.4.6
multilevel bool false 3.5.0

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of each line in a multi-line object chain. By default, this sniff ensures that each line is indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PEAR.WhiteSpace.ObjectOperatorIndent">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Another common way of indenting multi-line object chains is to increase and decrease the indent by one level at a time to show balanced method calls, as shown in the following code snippet:

$rootNode
    ->children()
        ->booleanNode('foo')
            ->defaultTrue()
        ->end()
        ->scalarNode('bar')
            ->defaultValue('default')
        ->end()
    ->end();

If you want to allow mutli-level indenting, set the multilevel property to true. This will allow each line to be indented 1 more or 1 less level than the previous line, while still ensuring that all lines are indented at least once.

<rule ref="PEAR.WhiteSpace.ObjectOperatorIndent">
    <properties>
        <property name="multilevel" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR.WhiteSpace.ScopeClosingBrace

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.3.4

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of the case terminating statement. By default, this sniff ensures that the statement is indented 4 spaces from the case or default keyword, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PEAR.WhiteSpace.ScopeClosingBrace">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PEAR.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 -
exact bool false -
tabIndent bool false 2.0.0
ignoreIndentationTokens array [] 1.4.8

Note: All properties are inherited from the Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent sniff.

See the Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent sniff for an explanation of all properties.

<!-- Tabs should represent 4 spaces. -->
<arg name="tab-width" value="4"/>
...
<rule ref="PEAR.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent">
    <properties>
        <property name="exact" value="true" />
        <property name="tabIndent" value="true" />
        <property name="ignoreIndentationTokens" type="array">
            <element value="T_COMMENT"/>
            <element value="T_DOC_COMMENT_OPEN_TAG"/>
        </property>
    </properties>
</rule>

PSR2 Sniffs

PSR2.Classes.ClassDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.3.5

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of a list of implemented or extended class names that have been split over multiple lines. By default, this sniff ensures that the class names are indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PSR2.Classes.ClassDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PSR2.ControlStructures.ControlStructureSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
requiredSpacesAfterOpen int 0 1.5.2
requiredSpacesBeforeClose int 0 1.5.2

This sniff checks that control structures have the correct padding inside their bracketed statement. By default, the sniff ensures there are zero spaces following the opening bracket, and zero spaces preceding the closing bracket, as shown in the following code snippet:

if ($condition === true) {
    // Body.
}

Another common way of padding control structures is to use a single space, as shown in the following code snippet:

if ( $condition === true ) {
    // Body.
}

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the requiredSpacesAfterOpen and requiredSpacesBeforeClose properties to 1, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="PSR2.ControlStructures.ControlStructureSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="requiredSpacesAfterOpen" value="1" />
        <property name="requiredSpacesBeforeClose" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PSR2.ControlStructures.SwitchDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.4.5

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of the case terminating statement. By default, this sniff ensures that the statement is indented 4 spaces from the case or default keyword, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PSR2.ControlStructures.SwitchDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PSR2.Methods.FunctionCallSignature

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.3.4
allowMultipleArguments bool false 1.4.7
requiredSpacesAfterOpen int 0 1.5.2
requiredSpacesBeforeClose int 0 1.5.2

Note: All properties are inherited from the PEAR.Functions.FunctionCallSignature sniff, although the default value of allowMultipleArguments is changed.

See the PEAR.Functions.FunctionCallSignature sniff for an explanation of all properties.

PSR12 Sniffs

PSR12.Classes.AnonClassDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 3.5.0

Note: The indent property is inherited from the PSR2.Classes.ClassDeclaration sniff.

This sniff checks the indent of a list of implemented or extended class names that have been split over multiple lines, and the indent of variables passed to the constructor that have been split over multiple lines. By default, this sniff ensures that the class names and passed variables are indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PSR12.Classes.AnonClassDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PSR12.ControlStructures.BooleanOperatorPlacement

Property Name Type Default Available Since
allowOnly bool null 3.5.4

This sniff ensures that boolean operators inside control structure conditions either all appear at the beginning of a line, or the end of a line, but not a mix of both. If you prefer to explicitly define where boolean operators should appear, you can set the allowOnly property to either first or last to ensure that boolean operators are always the first or last content of a line.

<rule ref="PSR12.ControlStructures.BooleanOperatorPlacement">
    <properties>
        <property name="allowOnly" value="first" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PSR12.ControlStructures.ControlStructureSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 3.5.0

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of each condition in a control structure when the conditions have been split over multiple lines. By default, this sniff ensures that the conditions are indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="PSR12.ControlStructures.ControlStructureSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PSR12.Namespaces.CompoundNamespaceDepth

Property Name Type Default Available Since
maxDepth int 2 3.3.0

This sniff checks the depth of imported namespaces inside compound use statements. By default, this sniff ensures that the namespaces are no more than two levels deep, but you can change the depth limit by setting the maxDepth property.

<rule ref="PSR12.Namespaces.CompoundNamespaceDepth">
    <properties>
        <property name="maxDepth" value="4" />
    </properties>
</rule>

PSR12.Operators.OperatorSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
ignoreNewlines bool false 3.3.0
ignoreSpacingBeforeAssignments bool true 3.5.0

Note: All properties are inherited from the Squiz.WhiteSpace.OperatorSpacing sniff, although the default value of allowMultipleArguments is changed.

See the Squiz.WhiteSpace.OperatorSpacing sniff for an explanation of all properties.

Squiz Sniffs

Squiz.Classes.ClassDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.3.5

Note: The indent property is inherited from the PSR2.Classes.ClassDeclaration sniff.

One of the rules that this sniff enforces is the indent of a list of implemented or extended class names that have been split over multiple lines. By default, this sniff ensures that the class names are indented 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="Squiz.Classes.ClassDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.Commenting.FunctionComment

Property Name Type Default Available Since
minimumVisibility string private 3.6.0

Note: The minimumVisibility property is inherited from the PEAR.Commenting.FunctionComment sniff.

This sniff verifies that functions are documented using a docblock. By default, all functions are checked regardless of their visibility, but the sniff can be told to ignore private and protected functions using the minimumVisibility property. When set to protected, only public and protected functions will be checked. When set to public, only public functions will be checked.

<rule ref="Squiz.Commenting.FunctionComment">
    <properties>
        <property name="minimumVisibility" value="public" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.Commenting.LongConditionClosingComment

Property Name Type Default Available Since
lineLimit int 20 2.7.0
commentFormat string //end %s 2.7.0

This sniff checks that long blocks of code have a closing comment. The lineLimit property allows you to configure the numbers of lines that the code block must span before requiring a comment. By default, the code block must be at least 20 lines long, including the opening and closing lines, but you can change the required length by setting the lineLimit property.

<rule ref="Squiz.Commenting.LongConditionClosingComment">
    <properties>
        <property name="lineLimit" value="40" />
    </properties>
</rule>

When a closing comment is required, the format defaults to //end %s, where the %s placeholder is replaced with the type of the code block. For example, //end if, //end foreach, or //end switch. You can change the format of the end comment by setting the commentFormat property.

<!-- Have code block comments look like // end foreach() etc. -->
<rule ref="Squiz.Commenting.LongConditionClosingComment">
    <properties>
        <property name="commentFormat" value="// end %s()" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.ControlStructures.ControlSignature

Property Name Type Default Available Since
requiredSpacesBeforeColon int 1 3.2.0

One of the rules this sniff enforces is the number of spaces before the opening brace of control structures. By default, the sniff ensures there is one space before the opening brace for control structures using standard syntax, and one space before the colon for control structures using alternative syntax, as shown in the following code snippet:

if ($foo) :
    // IF body.
else :
    // ELSE body.
endif;

A common way of defining control structures using alternative syntax is to put no padding before the colon, as shown in the following code snippet:

if ($foo):
    // IF body.
else:
    // ELSE body.
endif;

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the requiredSpacesBeforeColon property to 0.

<rule ref="Squiz.ControlStructures.ControlSignature">
    <properties>
        <property name="requiredSpacesBeforeColon" value="0" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.ControlStructures.ForEachLoopDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
requiredSpacesAfterOpen int 0 1.5.2
requiredSpacesBeforeClose int 0 1.5.2

This sniff checks that foreach structures have the correct padding inside their bracketed statement. By default, the sniff ensures there are zero spaces following the opening bracket, and zero spaces preceding the closing bracket, as shown in the following code snippet:

foreach ($foo as $bar) {
    // Body.
}

Another common way of padding control structures is to use a single space, as shown in the following code snippet:

foreach ( $foo as $bar ) {
    // Body.
}

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the requiredSpacesAfterOpen and requiredSpacesBeforeClose properties to 1, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="Squiz.ControlStructures.ForEachLoopDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="requiredSpacesAfterOpen" value="1" />
        <property name="requiredSpacesBeforeClose" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.ControlStructures.ForLoopDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
requiredSpacesAfterOpen int 0 1.5.2
requiredSpacesBeforeClose int 0 1.5.2
ignoreNewlines bool false 3.5.4

This sniff checks that for structures have the correct padding inside their bracketed statement. By default, the sniff ensures there are zero spaces following the opening bracket, and zero spaces preceding the closing bracket, as shown in the following code snippet:

for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
    // Body.
}

Another common way of padding control structures is to use a single space, as shown in the following code snippet:

for ( $i = 0; $i < 10; $i++ ) {
    // Body.
}

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the requiredSpacesAfterOpen and requiredSpacesBeforeClose properties to 1, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="Squiz.ControlStructures.ForLoopDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="requiredSpacesAfterOpen" value="1" />
        <property name="requiredSpacesBeforeClose" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Sometimes long control structures are broken over multiple lines to work within a maximum line length, but this sniff will generate an error for these cases by default. Setting the ignoreNewlines property to true will allow newline characters before, after, and between each of the three bracketed statements.

<rule ref="Squiz.ControlStructures.ForLoopDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreNewlines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.ControlStructures.SwitchDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.4.7

Two of the rules that this sniff enforces are the indent of case and default keywords, and the indent of the case terminating statement. By default, this sniff ensures that the keywords and terminating statement are indented 4 spaces from the switch keyword, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="Squiz.ControlStructures.SwitchDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.CSS.ForbiddenStyles

Property Name Type Default Available Since
error bool true 1.4.6

If the error property is set to false, a warning will be thrown for violations instead of an error.

<rule ref="Squiz.CSS.ForbiddenStyles">
    <properties>
        <property name="error" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.CSS.Indentation

Property Name Type Default Available Since
indent int 4 1.4.7

This sniff checks the indentation of CSS class definitions. By default, this sniff ensures that style statements are indented using 4 spaces, but you can change the size of the indent by setting the indent property.

<rule ref="Squiz.CSS.Indentation">
    <properties>
        <property name="indent" value="2" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.Functions.FunctionDeclaration

Property Name Type Default Available Since
ignoreComments bool false 1.4.0

Note: The ignoreComments property is inherited from the AbstractPattern sniff.

This sniff verifies that functions declarations match a specific pattern of whitespace and bracket placement. By default, comments placed within the function declaration will generate an error, but the sniff can be told to ignore comments by setting the ignoreComments property to true.

<rule ref="Squiz.Functions.FunctionDeclaration">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreComments" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.Functions.FunctionDeclarationArgumentSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
equalsSpacing int 0 1.3.5
requiredSpacesAfterOpen int 0 1.5.2
requiredSpacesBeforeClose int 0 1.5.2

One of the rules this sniff enforces is the padding around equal signs in the function argument list. By default, the sniff ensures there are zero spaces before and after the equals sign, as shown in the following code snippet:

function foo($a='a', $b='b') {
    // Body.
}

Another common way of defining default values is to use a single space, as shown in the following code snippet:

function foo($a = 'a', $b = 'b') {
    // Body.
}

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the equalsSpacing property to 1, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="Squiz.Functions.FunctionDeclarationArgumentSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="equalsSpacing" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Another of the rules this sniff enforces is that functions have the correct padding inside their bracketed list of arguments. By default, the sniff ensures there are zero spaces following the opening bracket, and zero spaces preceding the closing bracket, as shown in the following code snippet:

function foo($a, $b) {
    // Body.
}

Another common way of padding argument lists is to use a single space, as shown in the following code snippet:

function foo( $a, $b ) {
    // Body.
}

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the requiredSpacesAfterOpen and requiredSpacesBeforeClose properties to 1, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="Squiz.Functions.FunctionDeclarationArgumentSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="requiredSpacesAfterOpen" value="1" />
        <property name="requiredSpacesBeforeClose" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.PHP.CommentedOutCode

Property Name Type Default Available Since
maxPercentage int 35 1.3.3

This sniff generates warnings for commented out code. By default, a warning is generated if a comment appears to be more than 35% valid code. If you find that the sniff is generating a lot of false positive, you may want to raise the valid code threshold by increasing the maxPercentage property. Similarly, if you find that the sniff is generating a lot of false negatives, you may want to make it more sensitive by dropping the threshold by decreasing the maxPercentage property.

<!-- Make this sniff more sensitive to commented out code blocks. -->
<rule ref="Squiz.PHP.CommentedOutCode">
    <properties>
        <property name="maxPercentage" value="20" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.PHP.DiscouragedFunctions

Property Name Type Default Available Since
error bool false -

Note: This sniff also has a forbiddenFunctions property inherited from the Generic.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions sniff, but it should not be used. If you want to customise the list of discouraged functions, use the Generic.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions sniff directly.

If the error property is set to true, an error will be thrown for violations instead of a warning.

<rule ref="Squiz.PHP.DiscouragedFunctions">
    <properties>
        <property name="error" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions

Property Name Type Default Available Since
error bool false -

Note: This sniff also has a forbiddenFunctions property inherited from the Generic.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions sniff, but it should not be used. If you want to customise the list of forbidden functions, use the Generic.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions sniff directly.

If the error property is set to true, an error will be thrown for violations instead of a warning.

<rule ref="Squiz.PHP.ForbiddenFunctions">
    <properties>
        <property name="error" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.Strings.ConcatenationSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
spacing int 0 2.0.0
ignoreNewlines bool false 2.3.1

One of the rules this sniff enforces is the padding around concatenation operators. By default, the sniff ensures there are zero spaces before and after the concatenation operator, as shown in the following code snippet:

$foo = $number.'-'.$letter;

Another common way of padding concatenation operators is to use a single space, as shown in the following code snippet:

$foo = $number . '-' . $letter;

If you prefer to write your code like this, you can set the spacing property to 1, or whatever padding you prefer.

<rule ref="Squiz.Strings.ConcatenationSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="spacing" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Sometimes long concatenation statements are broken over multiple lines to work within a maximum line length, but this sniff will generate an error for these cases by default. Setting the ignoreNewlines property to true will allow newline characters before or after a concatenation operator, and any required padding for alignment.

<rule ref="Squiz.Strings.ConcatenationSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreNewlines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.WhiteSpace.FunctionSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
spacing int 2 1.4.5
spacingBeforeFirst int 2 3.3.0
spacingAfterLast int 2 3.3.0

This sniff checks that there are two blank lines before and after functions declarations, but you can change the required padding using the spacing, spacingBeforeFirst, and spacingAfterLast properties.

The spacingBeforeFirst property is used to determine how many blank lines are required before a function when it is the first block of code inside a statement group or control structure. This property is ignored when the function is outside one of these scopes, or if the function is preceded by member vars. If this property has not been set, the sniff will use whatever value has been set for the spacing property.

The spacingAfterLast property is used to determine how many blank lines are required after a function when it is the last block of code inside a statement group or control structure. This property is ignored when the function is outside one of these scopes, or if any member vars are placed after the function. If this property has not been set, the sniff will use whatever value has been set for the spacing property.

The spacing property applies in all other cases.

<!-- Ensure 1 blank line before and after functions, except at the top and bottom. -->
<rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.FunctionSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="spacing" value="1" />
        <property name="spacingBeforeFirst" value="0" />
        <property name="spacingAfterLast" value="0" />
    </properties>
</rule>

As the spacingBeforeFirst and spacingAfterLast properties use the value of the spacing property when not set, a shortcut for setting all three properties to the same value is to specify a value for the spacing property only.

<!-- Ensure 1 blank line before and after functions in all cases. -->
<rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.FunctionSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="spacing" value="1" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.WhiteSpace.MemberVarSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
spacing int 1 3.1.0
spacingBeforeFirst int 1 3.1.0

This sniff checks that there is one blank line before between member vars and before the fist member var, but you can change the required padding using the spacing and spacingBeforeFirst properties.

<!--
 Ensure 2 blank lines between member vars,
 but don't require blank lines before the first.
-->
<rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.MemberVarSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="spacing" value="2" />
        <property name="spacingBeforeFirst" value="0" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.WhiteSpace.ObjectOperatorSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
ignoreNewlines bool false 2.7.0

This sniff ensures there are no spaces surrounding an object operator. Sometimes long object chains are broken over multiple lines to work within a maximum line length, but this sniff will generate an error for these cases by default. Setting the ignoreNewlines property to true will allow newline characters before or after an object operator, and any required padding for alignment.

<rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.ObjectOperatorSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreNewlines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.WhiteSpace.OperatorSpacing

Property Name Type Default Available Since
ignoreNewlines bool false 2.2.0
ignoreSpacingBeforeAssignments bool true 3.5.0

This sniff ensures there is one space before and after an operator. Sometimes long statements are broken over multiple lines to work within a maximum line length, but this sniff will generate an error for these cases by default. Setting the ignoreNewlines property to true will allow newline characters before or after an operator, and any required padding for alignment.

<rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.OperatorSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreNewlines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

A number of coding standards allow multiple assignments to be aligned inside a single code block. When doing this, the number of spaces before an assignment operator can be greater than 1. To support this coding style, this sniff does not check the spacing before assignment operators by default. If you do not want to allow multiple assignments to be aligned, you can enable checking of spacing before assignment operators by setting the ignoreSpacingBeforeAssignments property to false.

<rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.OperatorSpacing">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreSpacingBeforeAssignments" value="false" />
    </properties>
</rule>

Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace

Property Name Type Default Available Since
ignoreBlankLines bool false 1.4.2

Some of the rules this sniff enforces are that there should not be whitespace at the end of a line, and that functions should not contain multiple blank lines in a row. If the ignoreBlankLines property is set to true, blank lines (lines that contain only whitespace) may have spaces and tabs as their content, and multiple blank lines will be allows inside functions.

<rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace">
    <properties>
        <property name="ignoreBlankLines" value="true" />
    </properties>
</rule>

For everyone

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Usage
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Configuration Options
Fixing Errors Automatically
FAQ

For coding standard creators

Annotated Ruleset
Customisable Sniff Properties

For sniff developers

Coding Standard Tutorial
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