Welcome to the Cookbook

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No new features should be added, without having their own tests - which should be passed before committing them to the repository.

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One tab will be used for indentation.

So, indentation should look like this:

<?php
// base level
    // level 1
        // level 2
    // level 1
// base level
?>

1. <?php
2. // base level
3. // level 1
4. // level 2
5. // level 1
6. // base level
7. ?>

Or:

$booleanVariable = true;
$stringVariable = "moose";
if ($booleanVariable) {
    echo "Boolean value is true";
    if ($stringVariable == "moose") {
        echo "We have encountered a moose";
    }
}

1. $booleanVariable = true;
2. $stringVariable = "moose";
3. if ($booleanVariable) {
4. echo "Boolean value is true";
5. if ($stringVariable == "moose") {
6. echo "We have encountered a moose";
7. }
8. }

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Control structures are for example "if", "for", "foreach", "while", "switch" etc. Below, an example with "if":

<?php 
if ((expr_1) || (expr_2)) { 
    // action_1;
} elseif (!(expr_3) && (expr_4)) {
    // action_2; 
} else {
    // default_action; 
} 
?>

1. <?php
2. if ((expr_1) || (expr_2)) {
3. // action_1;
4. } elseif (!(expr_3) && (expr_4)) {
5. // action_2;
6. } else {
7. // default_action;
8. }
9. ?>

• In the control structures there should be 1 (one) space before the first parenthesis and 1 (one) space between the last parenthesis and the opening bracket.
• Always use curly brackets in control structures, even if they are not needed. They increase the readability of the code, and they give you fewer logical errors.
• Opening curly brackets should be placed on the same line as the control structure. Closing curly brackets should be placed on new lines, and they should have same indentation level as the control structure. The statement included in curly brackets should begin on a new line, and code contained within it should gain a new level of indentation.

<?php 
// wrong - no brackets, badly placed statement
if (expr) statement; 

// wrong - no brackets
if (expr) 
    statement; 

// good
if (expr) {
    statement;
}
?>

1. <?php
2. // wrong - no brackets, badly placed statement
3. if (expr) statement;
4. // wrong - no brackets
5. if (expr)
6. statement;
7. // good
8. if (expr) {
9. statement;
10. }
11. ?>

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Ternary operators are permissible when the entire ternary operation fits on one line. Longer ternaries should be split into if else statements. Ternary operators should not ever be nested. Optionally parentheses can be used around the condition check of the ternary for clarity.

//Good, simple and readable
$variable = isset($options['variable']) ? $options['variable'] : true;

//Nested ternaries are bad
$variable = isset($options['variable']) ? isset($options['othervar']) ? true : false : false;

1. //Good, simple and readable
2. $variable = isset($options['variable']) ? $options['variable'] : true;
3. //Nested ternaries are bad
4. $variable = isset($options['variable']) ? isset($options['othervar']) ? true : false : false;

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Functions should be called without space between function's name and starting bracket. There should be one space between every parameter of a function call.

<?php 
$var = foo($bar, $bar2, $bar3); 
?>

1. <?php
2. $var = foo($bar, $bar2, $bar3);
3. ?>

As you can see above there should be one space on both sides of equals sign (=).

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Example of a function definition:

<?php 
function someFunction($arg1, $arg2 = '') {
    if (expr) {
        statement;
    }
    return $var;
}
?>

1. <?php
2. function someFunction($arg1, $arg2 = '') {
3. if (expr) {
4. statement;
5. }
6. return $var;
7. }
8. ?>

Parameters with a default value, should be placed last in function definition. Try to make your functions return something, at least true or false - so it can be determined whether the function call was successful.

<?php 
function connection(&$dns, $persistent = false) {
    if (is_array($dns)) {
        $dnsInfo = &$dns;
    } else {
        $dnsInfo = BD::parseDNS($dns);
    }

    if (!($dnsInfo) || !($dnsInfo['phpType'])) {
        return $this->addError();
    }
    return true;
}
?>

1. <?php
2. function connection(&$dns, $persistent = false) {
3. if (is_array($dns)) {
4. $dnsInfo = &$dns;
5. } else {
6. $dnsInfo = BD::parseDNS($dns);
7. }
8. if (!($dnsInfo) || !($dnsInfo['phpType'])) {
9. return $this->addError();
10. }
11. return true;
12. }
13. ?>

There are spaces on both side of the equals sign.

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All comments should be written in English, and should in a clear way describe the commented block of code.

Comments can include the following phpDocumentor tags:

• @access
• @author
• @copyright
• @deprecated
• @example
• @ignore
• @internal
• @link
• @see
• @since
• @tutorial
• @version
• inline {@internal}}
• inline {@inheritdoc}}
• inline {@link}}

PhpDoc tags are very much like JavaDoc tags in Java. Tags are only processed if they are the first thing in a DocBlock line, for example:

<?php
/**
 * Tag example.
 * @author this tag is parsed, but this @version is ignored
 * @version 1.0 this tag is also parsed
 */
?>

1. <?php
2. /**
3. * Tag example.
4. * @author this tag is parsed, but this @version is ignored
5. * @version 1.0 this tag is also parsed
6. */
7. ?>

There are 3 inline tags ({@internal}}, {@inheritdoc}} and {@link}}).

<?php 
/**
 * Example of inline phpDoc tags.
 *
 * This function works hard with {@link foo()} to rule the world.
 */
function bar() {
}
 
/**
 * Foo function
 */
function foo() {
}
?>

1. <?php
2. /**
3. * Example of inline phpDoc tags.
4. *
5. * This function works hard with {@link foo()} to rule the world.
6. */
7. function bar() {
8. }
10. /**
11. * Foo function
12. */
13. function foo() {
14. }
15. ?>

Comment blocks, with the exception of the first block in a file, should always be preceeded by a newline.

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When including files with classes or libraries, use only and always the require_once function.

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Always use long tags (<?php ?>) Instead of short tags (<? ?>).

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Write all functions in camelBack

<?php
function longFunctionName() {
}
?>

1. <?php
2. function longFunctionName() {
3. }
4. ?>

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Class names should be written in CamelCase, for example:

<?php
class ExampleClass {
}
?>

1. <?php
2. class ExampleClass {
3. }
4. ?>

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Variable names should be as descriptive as possible, but also as short as possible. Normal variables should start with a lowercase letter, and should be written in camelBack? in case of multiple words. Variables containing objects should start with a capital letter, and in some way associate to the class the variable is an object of. Example:

<?php
$user = 'John';
$users = array('John', 'Hans', 'Arne');

$Dispatcher = new Dispatcher();
?>

1. <?php
2. $user = 'John';
3. $users = array('John', 'Hans', 'Arne');
4. $Dispatcher = new Dispatcher();
5. ?>

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As we cannot use PHP5's private and protected keywords for methods or variables, we agree on following rules:

• A protected method or variable name start with a single underscore ("_"). Example:

  <?php
  class A {
      var $_iAmAProtectedVariable;
  
      function _iAmAProtectedMethod() {
          /*...*/
      }
  }
  ?>
  

  1. <?php
  2. class A {
  3. var $_iAmAProtectedVariable;
  4. function _iAmAProtectedMethod() {
  5. /*...*/
  6. }
  7. }
  8. ?>
• A private method or variable name start with double underscore ("__"). Example:

<?php
class A {
    var $__iAmAPrivateVariable;

    function __iAmAPrivateMethod() {
        /*...*/
    }
}
?>

1. <?php
2. class A {
3. var $__iAmAPrivateVariable;
4. function __iAmAPrivateMethod() {
5. /*...*/
6. }
7. }
8. ?>

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For all example URL and mail addresses use "example.com", "example.org" and "example.net", for example:

• Email: someone@example.com
• WWW: http://www.example.com
• FTP: ftp://ftp.example.com

The example.com domain name has been reserved for this (see RFC 2606) and is recommended for use in documentation or as examples.

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File names should be created with lower case. If a file name consist of multiple words, they should be divided by an underscore character, for example:

long_file_name.php

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Variable types for use in DocBlocks:

Remember that when you specify the type as mixed, you should indicate whether it is unknown, or what the possible types are.

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Constants should be defined in capital letters:

<?php
define('CONSTANT', 1);
?>

1. <?php
2. define('CONSTANT', 1);
3. ?>

If a constant name consists of multiple words, they should be separated by an underscore character, for example:

<?php
define('LONG_NAMED_CONSTANT', 2);
?>

1. <?php
2. define('LONG_NAMED_CONSTANT', 2);
3. ?>