phpstan

Analyze source directory

$ phpstan analyse [src/]

$ phpstan analyse --level [5] [src/]

$ phpstan analyse -c [phpstan.neon]

$ phpstan analyse --level max [src/]

$ phpstan analyse --generate-baseline

$ phpstan clear-result-cache

$ phpstan --version

phpstan [analyse] [--level n] [-c config] [options] [paths]

phpstan performs static analysis on PHP code, finding bugs without running the code. It catches type errors, undefined methods, and incorrect function calls.
Analysis levels range from 0 (basic) to 9 (strictest). Higher levels check more conditions but may find more false positives in legacy code. Start low and increase gradually.
Configuration files (phpstan.neon) define paths, excludes, and custom rules. They enable consistent analysis across team members and CI pipelines.
Baseline files ignore existing errors, enabling gradual adoption. New code must pass analysis while legacy issues can be fixed over time.
The tool integrates with IDEs through plugins, showing errors as you type. CI integration catches regressions before merge.
PHPStan supports PHPDoc annotations for type hints in older code. Modern PHP type declarations are preferred when possible.

analyse, analyze

Run analysis.

Rule level (0-9 or max).

Configuration file.

Configuration file (long form).

Memory limit.

Debug mode.

Generate error baseline.

Baseline file.

Output format (table, json, raw, etc.).

Disable progress bar.

Clear analysis cache.

High levels may be impractical for legacy code. Some dynamic PHP patterns can't be analyzed. Extensions needed for frameworks. Memory usage scales with codebase size.

PHPStan was created by Ondřej Mirtes in 2016 to bring static typing benefits to PHP. It became one of the most popular PHP static analysis tools, competing with Psalm and Phan.

psalm(1), php(1), composer(1), phpcs(1)