PHP Tools for Visual Studio - Documentation

July 2024 (version 1.81)

This release introduces support for PHP 8.4, including new language features such as property hooks and the PROPERTY magic constant. Improvements include enhanced code suggestions, better PHPUnit test discovery, and additional support for PHPStan assertions. The update also brings enhancements to code formatting, such as property alignment within class definitions, along with numerous bug fixes and performance optimizations.

PHP 8.4 Support (Preview)

This update adds support for the new PHP 8.4 features, including:

  • Property hooks, and __PROPERTY__ magic constant.
  • new without parentheses.
  • Formatting for properties and property hooks.

Improvements

  • Initial support for @phpstan-assert, @phpstan-assert-if-true, @phpstan-assert-if-false.
  • PhpUnit tests discovered in nested directories, and respecting prefix configuration.
  • Recognizes unsealed array shape type (#587)
  • Improves initial indexing, postpones discovering test cases after indexing is done.
  • Optimizations, memory usage improvements.
  • Better ReflectionClass::getMethods() type inference.
  • Implementing abstract functions adds universal @inheritDoc doc comment.
  • Sort uses code action removes duplicates.
  • Adjusted completion sorting for not-imported global types (#598).
  • Magic constants (__METHOD__, __PROPERTY__, etc.) are checked if they are used in a correct context.
  • Diagnostics improvements, fixes for try/finally control flow and reachability analysis.
  • We have successfully whitelisted both PHP Tools and IntelliPHP in AVAST CyberCapture, so there shouldn't be any prolonged scanning during runtime.

Formatting

Align Properties

The formatter now includes an Align Properties feature to align properties within class definitions for better code readability. Activate this feature via Tools | Options and navigate to Text Editor | PHP | Formatting | Wrapping. Under Class Properties, enable Align properties.

Align Properties

Automatic Installations

We've updated most of the PHPs and Xdebug (version 3.3.2) which are installed automatically to their latest versions.

Fixes

  • Fixes an issue causing unwanted spaces after formatting require and similar statements.
  • Crash fix when having @extends parent<> annotation, with template arguments (#585).
  • Function override check respects #[ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute.
  • Fixes false unused variable warning about object that is used as an array (#533).
  • Rename and highlight occurences of private fields fixes.
  • Fixes missing composer node in Dependencies in the Solution Explorer when other language than English is used. #2045
  • Stability fixes
  • When using the automatic installer, we are enabling the zip extension by default starting with PHP 8.2. Previously, if this extension was not enabled, some Composer commands might have failed.