Clean Code PHP
A guide of clean code principles with PHP examples, showing bad and good code side by side.
- Stars
- 12.5k
- Forks
- 2.2k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- PHP
- Last update
- 2.5 years ago
- Type
- Learning resource
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
This is a written guide, not a program, that applies general clean code ideas from Robert C. Martin's book Clean Code to PHP. Each section shows a short 'bad' example and a clearer 'good' version, covering topics like naming, functions, conditionals, classes and SOLID principles. The author notes it is a set of guidelines rather than a strict style guide.
- Read the variable naming section to improve how you name variables and constants
- Use the function and conditional sections as a checklist during code review
- Work through the SOLID section to understand single responsibility and dependency inversion in PHP
- Share specific examples with a team when discussing refactoring
Great for
- PHP developers who want to write more readable and maintainable code
- Students learning object-oriented design principles in PHP
- Developers reviewing or refactoring an existing PHP codebase
- Teams looking for shared examples to discuss code quality
Not ideal for
- Readers who want an enforceable linter or automated formatter, since this is only written guidance
- Developers using PHP 5, because the examples assume PHP 7.1 or newer
- Readers looking for a complete framework or library to install
How to get it
- 1
Read it online
Clone the repository to read it locally
git clone https://github.com/piotrplenik/clean-code-php - 2
Run it
- Open the README on GitHub or in your local clone
- Start with the Variables section and read each Bad and Good pair
- Move on to Functions and Classes once the basics feel familiar
- Read the SOLID section last and try applying one example to your own code
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the Table of Contents first to choose the sections most relevant to your current project
- Compare each Bad example with your own code to find patterns to refactor
- Check the Translations section if you prefer reading in another language
Downloads
Strengths
- Concrete bad and good code examples make each principle easy to follow
- Adapted specifically to PHP rather than being a generic translation
- The author states the guidelines are not absolute, which encourages judgment over rote rules
Trade-offs
- It is a single document, so it does not check or fix your code automatically
- The README excerpt provided is truncated, so some sections could not be reviewed here
- Some principles are opinions that experienced developers do not all agree on, as the author acknowledges
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| clean-code-php (this) | 12.5k | Learning resource | beginner | 2.5 years ago | PHP developers who want to write more readable and maintainable code |
| clean-code-javascript | 94.7k | Learning resource | beginner | 2.3 years ago | Developers who want to improve the readability of their JavaScript code |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.