PHP Code Style Action

Overview

The actions/php/codeStyle action applies comprehensive code style fixes and refactoring to PHP projects by combining both Rector (automated refactoring) and Duster (Laravel Pint code style fixes). It automatically commits changes and manages git blame history.

Language/Tool Support

PHP: All PHP projects
Laravel: Full support with Laravel Pint integration
Rector: Automated refactoring and modernization
Duster: Laravel Pint-based code style enforcement

Features

Dual Tool Integration: Combines Rector and Duster for comprehensive code improvement
Automatic Commits: Commits changes separately for each tool with descriptive messages
Git Blame Management: Automatically adds commit hashes to .git-blame-ignore-revs
Directory Support: Can target subdirectories within repositories
Composer Integration: Handles dependency caching
Force Push: Ensures changes are pushed to the target branch

Usage

- name: Apply Code Style
  uses: ./actions/php/codeStyle
  with:
    repository: ${{ github.repository }}
    branch: ${{ github.head_ref }}
    phpVersion: '8.3'
    directory: '.'

Inputs

Input	Type	Required	Default	Description
`repository`	string	✅	-	GitHub repository in format "owner/repo"
`branch`	string	❌	`main`	Target branch for applying code style changes
`phpVersion`	string	❌	`8.3`	PHP version to use for code style operations
`directory`	string	❌	`${{ github.workspace }}`	Directory path relative to workspace

Required Dependencies

Your project must include both tools in composer.json:

{
  "require-dev": {
    "tightenco/duster": "^2.0",
    "rector/rector": "^1.0"
  }
}

Action Steps

Setup PHP: Configures the specified PHP version
Checkout Repository: Retrieves code from the specified repository and branch
Set Permissions: Makes the entrypoint script executable
Determine Working Directory: Handles workspace vs subdirectory configuration
Cache Dependencies: Caches Composer dependencies for performance
Apply Code Style: Runs the entrypoint script that executes both tools
Force Cache: Saves cache if it wasn't hit

Code Style Process

Phase 1: Rector (Automated Refactoring)

Runs rector process to apply automated refactoring rules
Commits changes with message "Rectifying"
Adds commit hash to .git-blame-ignore-revs
Creates additional commit to ignore Rector changes in git blame
Force pushes changes to origin

Phase 2: Duster (Code Style Fixes)

Runs duster fix to apply Laravel Pint code style rules
Commits changes with message "Dusting"
Adds commit hash to .git-blame-ignore-revs
Creates additional commit to ignore Duster changes in git blame
Force pushes changes to origin

Configuration Files

Rector Configuration (rector.php)

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

use Rector\Config\RectorConfig;
use Rector\Set\ValueObject\LevelSetList;

return static function (RectorConfig $rectorConfig): void {
    $rectorConfig->paths([
        __DIR__ . '/app',
        __DIR__ . '/src',
    ]);

    $rectorConfig->sets([
        LevelSetList::UP_TO_PHP_83,
    ]);
};

Duster Configuration (duster.json or pint.json)

{
    "preset": "laravel",
    "rules": {
        "simplified_null_return": true,
        "not_operator_with_successor_space": true
    }
}

Usage Examples

Basic Usage in Workflow

name: Code Style

on:
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  code-style:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      contents: write
    steps:
      - name: Apply Code Style
        uses: ./actions/php/codeStyle
        with:
          repository: ${{ github.repository }}
          branch: ${{ github.head_ref }}

Subdirectory Usage

- name: Apply Code Style to Backend
  uses: ./actions/php/codeStyle
  with:
    repository: ${{ github.repository }}
    branch: ${{ github.head_ref }}
    directory: 'backend'
    phpVersion: '8.2'

Multiple PHP Versions

strategy:
  matrix:
    php-version: ['8.2', '8.3']
    directory: ['api', 'admin', 'frontend']

steps:
  - name: Apply Code Style
    uses: ./actions/php/codeStyle
    with:
      repository: ${{ github.repository }}
      branch: ${{ github.head_ref }}
      phpVersion: ${{ matrix.php-version }}
      directory: ${{ matrix.directory }}

Required Permissions

The workflow using this action must have:

permissions:
  contents: write  # Required for committing and pushing changes

Git Blame Integration

The action automatically manages git blame history by:

Creating .git-blame-ignore-revs: File containing commit hashes to ignore
Adding Commit Hashes: Each code style commit is added to the ignore file
Separate Ignore Commits: Creates dedicated commits for updating the ignore file
Git Configuration: Teams can configure git to use this file:

git config blame.ignoreRevsFile .git-blame-ignore-revs

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Rector Failures

Ensure rector.php configuration is valid
Check that Rector rules are compatible with your PHP version
Verify project structure matches configured paths

Duster Failures

Confirm Duster/Pint configuration is correct
Check for syntax errors that prevent code style fixes
Ensure proper Laravel Pint preset is specified

Git Push Failures

Confirm workflow has contents: write permission
Check that the target branch allows force pushes
Verify branch protection rules don't prevent automated commits

Directory Issues

Ensure the specified directory exists in the repository
Check that composer.json exists in the target directory
Verify relative paths are correct

Performance Optimization

Caching

The action automatically caches Composer dependencies
Cache keys are based on composer.lock file hash
Force cache save ensures cache is updated when needed

Dependency Installation

Uses --no-ansi --no-interaction --no-progress for faster installation
Includes --prefer-dist --ignore-platform-reqs for reliability

Security Considerations

Force Push: Action performs force pushes; ensure branch protection is configured appropriately
Automated Commits: Review automated commits in sensitive repositories
Token Permissions: Use minimal required permissions for Composer authentication

actions/php/rector: Standalone Rector refactoring
actions/php/duster: Standalone Duster code style fixes
php_staticAnalysis.yml: Code quality analysis workflow
php_test.yml: Unit testing workflow

Best Practices

Run on Pull Requests: Apply code style fixes before merging
Review Changes: Always review automated code style changes
Configure Rules: Customize Rector and Duster rules for your project
Test After Changes: Run tests after code style changes
Branch Protection: Configure appropriate branch protection rules
Regular Updates: Keep Rector and Duster dependencies updated

Migration from php_dusterFix.yml

This action replaces the deprecated php_dusterFix.yml workflow with enhanced features:

Added Rector: Now includes automated refactoring
Better Git Blame: Improved git blame ignore functionality
Enhanced Caching: More efficient dependency caching
Directory Support: Better handling of subdirectories
Separate Commits: Individual commits for each tool