Let the code speak: A practical guide to PHPDoc documentation

php editor Baicao brings you a practical guide "Let the Code Speak: A Practical Guide to PHPDoc Documents". PHPDoc is a commonly used document comment format in PHP, which can help developers better understand and maintain the code. This guide will introduce in detail how to use PHPDoc specifications to write documentation comments, and how to use PHPDoc to generate code documentation to make your code clearer and easier to understand. Let's explore together how to let the code speak through documentation and improve code quality and maintainability!

PHPDoc uses a syntax based on comment blocks. Comment blocks start with "/*" and end with "/". Comment blocks contain descriptive metadata for classes, methods, functions, and constants.

Description metadata

phpDoc provides the following common description metadata:

• @param: Used to describe the parameters of a method or function.
• @return: Used to describe the return value of a method or function.
• @var: is used to describe variables.
• @throws: Used to describe exceptions that may be thrown by a method or function.
• @see: Used to link to other related documentation or code.

Demo code:

/**
 * @param int $number 整数
 * @return string 字符串
 */
function fORMatNumber(int $number): string
{
return number_format($number);
}

Commentation method

When annotating a method, include the following information:

• Method signature: Includes method name and parameter list.
• Parameter description: Use the "@param" tag to describe each parameter.
• Return value description: Use the "@return" tag to describe the return value.
• Exception description: Use the "@throws" tag to describe exceptions that may be thrown.

Demo code:

/**
 * @param string $name 姓名
 * @param string $email 邮件地址
 * @return bool 是否注册成功
 * @throws InvalidArgumentException 如果 $name 或 $email 为空
 */
public function reGISterUser(string $name, string $email): bool
{
// 业务逻辑
}

Annotation class

Class comments provide an overall description about the class and document its methods and properties.

• Class description: Use the first line of the comment to describe the class.
• Property description: Use the "@property" tag to describe class properties.
• Method annotations: Annotate each method in the class using a separate comment block.

Demo code:

/**
 * 用户类
 */
class User
{
/**
 * 用户名
 *
 * @var string
 */
private $username;

/**
 * 获取用户名
 *
 * @return string
 */
public function getUsername(): string
{
return $this->username;
}

/**
 * 设置用户名
 *
 * @param string $username 用户名
 */
public function setUsername(string $username): void
{
$this->username = $username;
}
}

Comment constants

Constant annotations provide descriptions about constant names and values.

• Constant name: The first line of the comment contains the constant name.
• Constant value: The second line of the comment contains the constant value.
• Constant description: The following lines of comments provide a description of the constant.

Demo code:

/**
 * 用户状态：活跃
 */
const STATUS_ACTIVE = 1;

Using PHPDoc tools

There are many tools that can help you automate the generation of PHPDoc, for example:

• PHPStorm: Integrated development environment (IDE), providing the function of automatically generating and formatting PHPDoc.
• PhpDocumentor: A command line tool for generating documentation from code.

Best Practices

The following are some best practices for writing high-quality PHPDoc comments:

• Maintain consistency: Use a consistent comment style throughout the project.
• Provide full description: Describe all code elements and provide detailed descriptions of their purpose and behavior.
• Use code samples: If possible, use code samples to demonstrate the use of code elements.
• Write comments for readability: Use clear and concise language and avoid technical jargon.
• Update comments regularly: Update comments when the code is updated to ensure they remain accurate.

in conclusion

PHPDoc documentation is a valuable tool for improving the readability, maintainability, and testability of your PHP code. By using PHPDoc's description metadata and tools, you can generate detailed and valuable comments, making your code easy to understand and maintain.

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