PHP_CodeSniffer (PHP)

phpcs-aaa is a PHPCS standard that enforces the Arrange-Act-Assert pattern in PHP test methods.

Install

composer require --dev babu-ch/phpcs-aaa

If you do not use phpcodesniffer-composer-installer, register the standard path manually:

vendor/bin/phpcs --config-set installed_paths vendor/babu-ch/phpcs-aaa

Enable the sniff

<!-- phpcs.xml.dist -->
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ruleset name="Project">
    <file>tests</file>
    <rule ref="AAA"/>
</ruleset>

Or run ad-hoc:

vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=AAA tests/

Sniff: AAA.Tests.Pattern

Configuration

<rule ref="AAA.Tests.Pattern">
    <properties>
        <property name="caseSensitive" value="false"/>
        <property name="allowEmptySection" value="true"/>
        <property name="testFunctionPrefixes" type="array">
            <element value="test"/>
        </property>
        <property name="labels" type="array">
            <element key="arrange" value="arrange"/>
            <element key="act"     value="act"/>
            <element key="assert"  value="assert"/>
        </property>
    </properties>
</rule>

Test methods are matched by name prefix (PHPUnit convention: methods starting with test). Extend the list if your suite uses different naming.

Examples

Given / When / Then

<property name="labels" type="array">
    <element key="arrange" value="given"/>
    <element key="act"     value="when"/>
    <element key="assert"  value="then"/>
</property>

What it catches

// Error: missing "arrange"
public function testBad(): void
{
    // act
    $x = $this->doThing();
    // assert
    $this->assertSame(1, $x);
}

// Error: wrong order
public function testAlsoBad(): void
{
    // act
    $x = $this->doThing();
    // arrange
    $y = 1;
    // assert
    $this->assertSame($y, $x);
}

Auto-fix

When all three section comments are missing, vendor/bin/phpcbf (the auto-fixer that ships with PHP_CodeSniffer) inserts a // arrange / // act / // assert template at the top of the test method. You then move each comment above the code that belongs to it.

Other cases (one or two missing, wrong order, empty section) are not auto-fixed because the correct insertion point depends on the test's intent — the error message tells you exactly what to add and where.