larastan

Pros of PHPInsights

• Provides a broader analysis of code quality, including architecture, style, and complexity metrics
• Offers a user-friendly CLI interface with colorful output and progress bars
• Includes customizable rulesets and the ability to create custom insights

Cons of PHPInsights

• May produce more false positives compared to Larastan's focused static analysis
• Requires more configuration to tailor the analysis to specific project needs
• Can be slower to run on large codebases due to its comprehensive analysis

Code Comparison

Larastan:

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;

function getUserNames(): array
{
    return DB::table('users')->pluck('name')->toArray();
}

PHPInsights:

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;

function getUserNames(): array
{
    $users = DB::table('users')->get();
    return $users->pluck('name')->toArray();
}

While both tools can analyze these code snippets, PHPInsights might provide additional insights on code style and complexity, whereas Larastan would focus more on type-related issues and potential runtime errors.

Pros of Psalm

• More extensive type checking and static analysis capabilities
• Supports a wider range of PHP projects beyond Laravel
• Offers more customization options and configuration flexibility

Cons of Psalm

• Steeper learning curve for new users
• May require more setup and configuration for Laravel projects
• Can be more resource-intensive for large codebases

Code Comparison

Larastan configuration:

<?php

return [
    'paths' => [
        'app',
        'tests',
    ],
    'level' => 5,
];

Psalm configuration:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<psalm
    errorLevel="3"
    resolveFromConfigFile="true"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xmlns="https://getpsalm.org/schema/config"
    xsi:schemaLocation="https://getpsalm.org/schema/config vendor/vimeo/psalm/config.xsd"
>
    <projectFiles>
        <directory name="src" />
        <ignoreFiles>
            <directory name="vendor" />
        </ignoreFiles>
    </projectFiles>
</psalm>

Both tools aim to improve PHP code quality through static analysis, but Psalm offers more advanced features and broader project support, while Larastan is tailored specifically for Laravel applications with easier setup and integration.

Pros of PHPStan

• More general-purpose, can be used with any PHP project
• Larger community and more frequent updates
• Extensive rule set and customization options

Cons of PHPStan

• Requires more configuration for Laravel-specific features
• May produce false positives for Laravel-specific code patterns
• Steeper learning curve for Laravel developers

Code Comparison

PHPStan configuration:

<?php
// phpstan.neon
parameters:
    level: 5
    paths:
        - src
    excludes_analyse:
        - vendor

Larastan configuration:

<?php
// phpstan.neon.dist
includes:
    - ./vendor/nunomaduro/larastan/extension.neon

parameters:
    level: 5
    paths:
        - app

Summary

PHPStan is a powerful static analysis tool for PHP projects, offering extensive customization and a large community. However, for Laravel-specific projects, Larastan provides a more tailored experience with built-in support for Laravel conventions and patterns. While PHPStan requires more setup for Laravel projects, it offers greater flexibility for non-Laravel PHP applications. Larastan, being built on top of PHPStan, inherits its core functionality while adding Laravel-specific features, making it a more convenient choice for Laravel developers.

Pros of Phan

• More extensive analysis capabilities, covering a wider range of PHP issues
• Language-agnostic, can be used with any PHP project
• Highly configurable with numerous options for customization

Cons of Phan

• Steeper learning curve due to its complexity and extensive configuration options
• May produce more false positives, requiring additional effort to fine-tune
• Less integrated with Laravel-specific features and conventions

Code Comparison

Phan configuration:

return [
    'target_php_version' => '7.4',
    'directory_list' => ['src/', 'vendor/'],
    'exclude_analysis_directory_list' => ['vendor/'],
    'plugins' => ['UnreachableCodePlugin'],
];

Larastan configuration:

return [
    'paths' => [
        'app',
        'config',
        'database',
        'routes',
    ],
    'level' => 5,
];

Summary

Phan is a more general-purpose PHP static analyzer with extensive capabilities, while Larastan is tailored specifically for Laravel projects. Phan offers greater flexibility and customization but requires more setup and fine-tuning. Larastan provides a more streamlined experience for Laravel developers with out-of-the-box support for framework-specific features and conventions.