PHP Conventions

These are non-negotiable personal conventions unless explicitly overridden by the user.

Language & Syntax

• Strict types — Every PHP file must declare declare(strict_types=1); at the top. If it is an existing file, you do not need to add it, but mention it to the user.

• Prefer explicit falsy checks — Use the narrowest comparison that matches the real condition, such as === null, === '', or === 0, instead of broad checks like if (! $someValue). Negation is fine when the value is genuinely bool (for example, if (! $isEnabled)). This avoids surprising type coercion and makes intent clearer to humans and tools.

• Import function calls and constants — Always use function and constant imports rather than calling global functions inline:

  use function array_key_exists;
  use function sprintf;
  use function count;
  
  use const JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR;