Table of Contents
Use clear naming specifications
Organize the code structure reasonably
Make good use of comments and documents
Keep code testable
Home Backend Development PHP Tutorial What are the best practices for writing clean and maintainable PHP code?

What are the best practices for writing clean and maintainable PHP code?

Jun 24, 2025 am 12:53 AM
php Code specifications

The key to writing clean and easy-to-maintain PHP code lies in clear naming, following standards, reasonable structure, making good use of comments and testability. 1. Use clear variables, functions and class names, such as $userData and calculateTotalPrice(); 2. Follow the PSR-12 standard unified code style; 3. Split the code structure by responsibilities, and organize it using MVC or Laravel-style directories; 4. Avoid noodles-style code and split the logic into small functions with a single responsibility; 5. Add comments at key points and write interface documents to clarify parameters, return values ​​and exceptions; 6. Improve testability, adopt dependency injection, reduce global state and static methods. These practices improve code quality, collaboration efficiency and post-maintenance ease.

What are the best practices for writing clean and maintainable PHP code?

Writing clean and easy-to-maintain PHP code is not just for the sake of looking comfortable, but more importantly, it is convenient for future modification, debugging and team collaboration. A good code structure can reduce the chance of errors and make it easier to understand when others take over.


Use clear naming specifications

You should know what variables, functions and class names are for a glance. Don't use vague names like $a and $temp for vague purposes. for example:

  • $x = getUser();
  • $userData = getUser();

The same is true for function names, and the beginning of the verb is more appropriate, such as calculateTotalPrice() is more clear than total() .

The PHP community generally uses PSR standards (such as PSR-12), which have regulations on naming, indentation, spaces, etc. It is recommended to follow them uniformly so that switching between different projects will not be messed up.


Organize the code structure reasonably

Don’t do too many things for a document, try to achieve a "single responsibility". For example, if the database operation is placed in the model layer, the business logic is placed in the service, the controller is only responsible for receiving requests and returning responses.

In terms of directory structure, you can refer to MVC or a structure similar to Laravel, so that new members can easily get started when they come in.

Also, avoid "noodle-style code" - that is, all logic is piled in a function or page. Splitting into small functions is not only easy to test, but also easier to reuse.

For example:

 function processOrder($order) {
    validateOrder($order);
    calculateDiscount($order);
    saveToDatabase($order);
}

Each function does only one thing, and the main process is clear at a glance.


Make good use of comments and documents

Not every line needs to be written, but it is best to add explanations to key logic, complex judgments, and API interfaces. In particular, interface documents can be generated using OpenAPI or Swagger to facilitate front-end and back-end collaboration.

For functions, write clearly the parameter type, return value, and possible exceptions. For example:

 /**
 * Calculate the total order price*
 * @param array $items Order item list* @param float $taxRate Tax rate* @return float Total amount (tax included)
 */
function calculateTotal(array $items, float $taxRate): float {
    ...
}

In this way, when others call, they will know how to pass the parameters and what the expected result is.


Keep code testable

When writing code, be consciously making it easy to test. For example, dependency injection, avoiding global state, disassembly of functions into small units, etc.

If your function does only one thing, does not rely on external variables or calls the database directly, it is easy to write unit tests. PHPUnit is the most commonly used testing framework in PHP and can be used to verify that the code behavior is in line with expectations.

Some tips:

  • Separate database query and business logic to facilitate simulation of data
  • Avoid writing too much initialization logic in the constructor
  • Try to use less static methods, they are not easy to mock

Basically that's it. Writing PHP code well does not require any advanced skills. The key is to have clear structure, reasonable naming and clear logic. These things look simple, but persistence can really improve a lot of efficiency.

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