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testing-php

★ 470

by automattic · part of automattic/studio

Guidelines for running PHP linting to catch syntax errors

🧰 Not standalone. This skill ships with automattic/studio and only works together with that tool — install the tool first, then add this skill.

This is the playbook your agent receives when the skill activates — you don't need to read it to use the skill, but it's here to audit before installing.

When to use me

Use this skill when validating PHP files for syntax errors. Do not use this skill for JavaScript or CSS validation.

Step 1: Identify PHP files

Find all PHP files in the project, excluding vendor/, node_modules/, and build/ directories:

find . -name "*.php" -not -path "*/vendor/*" -not -path "*/node_modules/*" -not -path "*/build/*"

Step 2: Run PHP syntax check

Check each PHP file for syntax errors using php -l:

php -l <file>
  • A file with valid syntax prints No syntax errors detected in <file> and exits 0.
  • A file with syntax errors prints the error message with line number and exits non-zero.
  • Fix any syntax errors found by editing the file, then re-run php -l to confirm.

Rules

  • Syntax only: This skill checks for PHP syntax errors. Do not run PHPCS or other coding standard tools.
  • Max 3 cycles: Run at most 3 fix-then-retest cycles per file. If issues remain after 3 cycles, report them as unresolved.
  • Never modify business logic: Only fix syntax errors. Do not change how the code works.
  • Report format: After testing, report results as:
    • PASS: No syntax errors
    • FAIL: List remaining errors with file, line, and message