PHP Function Documentation Best Practices: How to Create Clear and Useful Documentation

PHP function documentation best practices include: File comments: include function name, description, parameters, return values, and exceptions. Inline documentation: Use comment blocks to provide details on specific lines of code, parameters, side effects, and best practices. Automatically generate file comments using PHPdoc or Doxygen. Documentation is regularly maintained to reflect function changes, ensuring developers have the most up-to-date and accurate information.

PHP Function Documentation Best Practices: Create Clear and Useful Guides

Excellent function documentation is key to effectively sharing and maintaining your PHP codebase. Following best practices creates clear and useful documentation that makes it easy for developers to understand and use your functions.

File Comments

All functions should contain the following file comment section:

/**
 * 函数名称：my_function
 * 描述：此函数执行 X 操作。
 *
 * @param int $a 第一个参数
 * @param string $b 第二个参数（可选）
 * @return string 函数返回的结果
 *
 * @throws Exception 如果发生错误，则抛出异常
 */

The comment block should contain the following information:

• Function Name
• Brief description of what the function does
• Parameter list, including data type and optional information
• Data type of the return value
• Details of any exceptions thrown INFO

Inline documentation

In addition to file comments, use the /** and */ comment block to include inline documentation in the function body . These comment blocks should provide more detailed information, such as:

• The purpose of a specific line of code
• The range of valid values ​​for a specific parameter
• Expected side effects of the function
• Any best practices or warnings in the code

Real-life examples

/**
 * 计算圆的面积。
 *
 * @param float $radius 圆的半径
 * @return float 圆的面积
 */
function calculate_area($radius)
{
    // 检查半径是否有效
    if ($radius <= 0) {
        throw new InvalidArgumentException('半径必须大于 0');
    }

    // 计算并返回面积
    return pi() * $radius ** 2;
}

In this example, the inline documentation explains the purpose of each line of code and provides Additional information about radius valid value ranges and exceptions.

Create automatically generated file comments

You can use tools such as PHPdoc or Doxygen to automatically generate file comments. This saves time and ensures consistency and completeness of comments.

Continuous maintenance of documentation

Functions may change over time. Therefore, it is important to regularly maintain function documentation to reflect these changes. This will ensure that developers always have up-to-date and accurate information about how to use your function.

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