PSR-12 is a coding style guideline defined by the PHP-FIG (PHP Framework Interoperability Group). It builds on PSR-1 (Basic Coding Standard) and PSR-2 (Coding Style Guide), extending them to include modern practices and requirements.

Purpose of PSR-12

PSR-12 aims to establish a consistent and readable code style for PHP projects, facilitating collaboration between developers and maintaining a uniform codebase.

Key Guidelines of PSR-12

1. Indentation

• Use 4 spaces for indentation (no tabs).

2. Line Length

• Maximum line length should not exceed 120 characters.
• Code may be broken into multiple lines for better readability.

3. Namespace and Use Statements

• Add one blank line after the namespace declaration.
• use statements should follow the namespace declaration.
• Imported classes, functions, and constants should be alphabetically sorted without blank lines between them.

namespace App\Controller;

use App\Service\MyService;
use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;

4. Classes

• The opening { for a class or method must be placed on the next line.
• Visibility (public, protected, private) is mandatory for all methods and properties.

class MyClass
{
    private string $property;

    public function myMethod(): void
    {
        // code
    }
}

5. Methods and Functions

• Each parameter must be placed on a new line if the parameter list is wrapped.
• Return types should be explicitly declared.

public function myFunction(
    int $param1,
    string $param2
): string {
    return 'example';
}

6. Control Structures (if, while, for, etc.)

• The opening { must be on the same line as the control structure.
• A space is required between the control structure and the condition.

if ($condition) {
    // code
} elseif ($otherCondition) {
    // code
} else {
    // code
}

7. Arrays

• Use the short syntax ([]) for arrays.
• In multiline arrays, each element should appear on a new line.

$array = [
    'first' => 'value1',
    'second' => 'value2',
];

8. Type Declarations

• Parameter, return, and property types are mandatory (where possible).
• Nullable types are prefixed with ?.

public function getValue(?int $id): ?string
{
    return $id !== null ? (string) $id : null;
}

9. Files

• PHP files must start with the <?php tag and must not include a closing ?> tag.
• Add blank lines between declarations like classes or functions.

Differences from PSR-2

PSR-12 extends PSR-2 by:

• Supporting modern PHP features (e.g., nullable types, declare(strict_types=1), traits, type hinting).
• Clarifying rules for line lengths, wrapped method parameters, and arrays.
• Requiring explicit type declarations.

Benefits of PSR-12

• Simplifies code reviews.
• Improves readability and maintainability.
• Enhances interoperability between PHP projects.
• Ensures consistency with modern PHP practices.

Summary

PSR-12 is the standard for modern and consistent PHP code. It improves code quality and simplifies collaboration, especially in team environments. Tools like PHP_CodeSniffer or PHP-CS-Fixer can help ensure adherence to PSR-12 effortlessly.

PSR-2 is a coding style guideline for PHP developed by the PHP-FIG (Framework Interop Group) to make code more readable and consistent, allowing development teams to collaborate more easily. The abbreviation “PSR” stands for “PHP Standards Recommendation”.

Key Points in PSR-2:

1. Indentation: Use four spaces for indentation instead of tabs.
2. Line Length: Code should ideally not exceed 80 characters per line, with an absolute maximum of 120 characters.
3. File Structure: Each PHP file should either contain only classes, functions, or executable code, but not a mix.
4. Braces: Opening braces { for classes and methods should be on the next line, whereas braces for control structures (like if, for) should be on the same line.
5. Spaces: Place a space between control keywords and parentheses, as well as around operators (e.g., =, +).

Example

Here’s a simple example following these guidelines:

<?php

namespace Vendor\Package;

class ExampleClass
{
    public function exampleMethod($arg1, $arg2 = null)
    {
        if ($arg1 === $arg2) {
            throw new \Exception('Arguments cannot be equal');
        }

        return $arg1;
    }
}

PSR-2 has since been expanded and replaced by PSR-12, which includes additional rules to further improve code consistency.