Create Rector Config

Rector Configuration Generator

Generates optimized Rector configurations for automated PHP refactoring.

Targets Rector 2.x (rector/rector: ^2.0) — always the RectorConfig::configure() builder, never the legacy return static function (RectorConfig $rectorConfig): void {} closure with ->import()/->sets().

Generated Files

rector.php                # Main configuration

Configuration by Use Case

PHP Version Upgrade

<?php
// rector.php

declare(strict_types=1);

use Rector\Config\RectorConfig;

return RectorConfig::configure()
    ->withPaths([
        __DIR__ . '/src',
        __DIR__ . '/tests',
    ])
    ->withSkip([
        __DIR__ . '/src/Infrastructure/Legacy',
        __DIR__ . '/src/Infrastructure/Migrations',
    ])
    // PHP 8.4 upgrade
    ->withPhpSets(php84: true)
    // Prepared sets
    ->withPreparedSets(
        deadCode: true,
        codeQuality: true,
        typeDeclarations: true,
    );

Code Quality Focus

<?php
// rector.php

declare(strict_types=1);

use Rector\Config\RectorConfig;

return RectorConfig::configure()
    ->withPaths([
        __DIR__ . '/src',
    ])
    ->withPhpSets(php84: true)
    ->withPreparedSets(
        deadCode: true,
        codeQuality: true,
        codingStyle: true,
        typeDeclarations: true,
        privatization: true,
        naming: true,
        instanceOf: true,
        earlyReturn: true,
        strictBooleans: true,
    );

PHPUnit Migration

<?php
// rector.php

declare(strict_types=1);

use Rector\Config\RectorConfig;

return RectorConfig::configure()
    ->withPaths([
        __DIR__ . '/tests',
    ])
    ->withPhpSets(php84: true)
    // Picks the PHPUnit version sets matching composer.json (PHPUnit 10/11/12)
    ->withComposerBased(phpunit: true)
    ->withAttributesSets(phpunit: true)
    ->withPreparedSets(
        phpunitCodeQuality: true,
    );

Symfony Migration

<?php
// rector.php

declare(strict_types=1);

use Rector\Config\RectorConfig;

return RectorConfig::configure()
    ->withPaths([
        __DIR__ . '/src',
        __DIR__ . '/tests',
    ])
    ->withPhpSets(php84: true)
    // Picks Symfony/Doctrine version sets matching composer.json
    ->withComposerBased(symfony: true, doctrine: true)
    ->withAttributesSets(symfony: true, doctrine: true)
    ->withPreparedSets(
        symfonyCodeQuality: true,
        doctrineCodeQuality: true,
    )
    ->withSymfonyContainerXml(__DIR__ . '/var/cache/dev/App_KernelDevDebugContainer.xml');

DDD Project Configuration

<?php
// rector.php

declare(strict_types=1);

use Rector\Config\RectorConfig;
use Rector\DeadCode\Rector\ClassMethod\RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector;
use Rector\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromStrictNativeCallRector;
use Rector\TypeDeclaration\Rector\ClassMethod\ReturnTypeFromStrictScalarReturnExprRector;

return RectorConfig::configure()
    ->withPaths([
        __DIR__ . '/src/Domain',
        __DIR__ . '/src/Application',
        __DIR__ . '/src/Infrastructure',
        __DIR__ . '/src/Api',
    ])
    ->withSkip([
        __DIR__ . '/src/Infrastructure/Migrations',
        __DIR__ . '/src/Infrastructure/Legacy',

        // Skip certain rules for specific paths
        RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector::class => [
            __DIR__ . '/src/Domain/*/Event/*',  // Event handlers may seem unused
        ],
    ])
    ->withPhpSets(php84: true)
    ->withPreparedSets(
        deadCode: true,
        codeQuality: true,
        typeDeclarations: true,
        privatization: true,
        earlyReturn: true,
    )
    // Strict for Domain layer
    ->withRules([
        ReturnTypeFromStrictNativeCallRector::class,
        ReturnTypeFromStrictScalarReturnExprRector::class,
    ]);

Available Set Lists

PHP Version Sets

->withPhpSets(
    php53: true,  // PHP 5.3 features
    php54: true,  // PHP 5.4 features
    php55: true,  // ...
    php56: true,
    php70: true,
    php71: true,
    php72: true,
    php73: true,
    php74: true,
    php80: true,
    php81: true,
    php82: true,
    php83: true,
    php84: true,  // Latest
)

Quality Sets

use Rector\Set\ValueObject\SetList;

->withSets([
    SetList::CODE_QUALITY,          // General code quality
    SetList::CODING_STYLE,          // Coding style improvements
    SetList::DEAD_CODE,             // Remove dead code
    SetList::EARLY_RETURN,          // Early return patterns
    SetList::PRIVATIZATION,         // Privatize where possible
    SetList::TYPE_DECLARATION,      // Add type declarations
    SetList::INSTANCEOF,            // Instanceof improvements
    SetList::STRICT_BOOLEANS,       // Strict boolean comparisons
])

Framework Sets

// Symfony
use Rector\Symfony\Set\SymfonySetList;
SymfonySetList::SYMFONY_60
SymfonySetList::SYMFONY_70
SymfonySetList::SYMFONY_CODE_QUALITY
SymfonySetList::ANNOTATIONS_TO_ATTRIBUTES

// Doctrine
use Rector\Doctrine\Set\DoctrineSetList;
DoctrineSetList::DOCTRINE_ORM_29
DoctrineSetList::DOCTRINE_CODE_QUALITY
DoctrineSetList::ANNOTATIONS_TO_ATTRIBUTES

// PHPUnit
use Rector\PHPUnit\Set\PHPUnitSetList;
PHPUnitSetList::PHPUNIT_100
PHPUnitSetList::PHPUNIT_CODE_QUALITY
PHPUnitSetList::ANNOTATIONS_TO_ATTRIBUTES

Skip Configuration

Skip Paths

->withSkip([
    __DIR__ . '/src/Legacy/*',
    __DIR__ . '/src/Infrastructure/Migrations/*',
    __DIR__ . '/var/*',
    __DIR__ . '/vendor/*',
])

Skip Rules

use Rector\DeadCode\Rector\ClassMethod\RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector;
use Rector\Privatization\Rector\Class_\FinalizeClassesWithoutChildrenRector;

->withSkip([
    // Skip globally
    RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector::class,

    // Skip for specific files
    FinalizeClassesWithoutChildrenRector::class => [
        __DIR__ . '/src/Domain/*/Entity/*',
    ],
])

CI Integration

Dry Run (Preview)

# Preview changes without applying
vendor/bin/rector process --dry-run

# Output diff format
vendor/bin/rector process --dry-run --output-format=json

GitHub Actions

rector:
  runs-on: ubuntu-latest
  steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
    - uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
      with:
        php-version: '8.4'
    - run: composer install
    - name: Check Rector
      run: vendor/bin/rector process --dry-run --ansi

    # Optional: Auto-fix in PR
    - name: Apply Rector
      if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
      run: |
        vendor/bin/rector process
        git diff --quiet || (git add -A && git commit -m "Apply Rector fixes")

GitLab CI

rector:
  script:
    - vendor/bin/rector process --dry-run
  allow_failure: true

rector:fix:
  script:
    - vendor/bin/rector process
    - git diff --quiet || exit 1
  rules:
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"

Common Transformations

PHP 8.4 Features

// Before: Null coalescing
$value = isset($array['key']) ? $array['key'] : 'default';

// After: Null coalescing operator
$value = $array['key'] ?? 'default';

// Before: Constructor property promotion
class User {
    private string $name;

    public function __construct(string $name) {
        $this->name = $name;
    }
}

// After: Property promotion
class User {
    public function __construct(
        private string $name,
    ) {}
}

Dead Code Removal

// Removes:
// - Unused private methods
// - Unused private properties
// - Unreachable code after return/throw
// - Empty methods that do nothing
// - Unused parameters (configurable)

Type Declarations

// Adds return types from:
// - Strict native calls (strlen, count, etc.)
// - Scalar return expressions
// - Property types from constructor

// Before
public function getName() {
    return $this->name;
}

// After
public function getName(): string {
    return $this->name;
}

Generation Instructions

1. Analyze project:

   • Check current PHP version
   • Check target PHP version
   • Identify frameworks (Symfony, Laravel)
   • Check for PHPUnit

2. Select sets:

   • PHP version upgrade sets
   • Framework migration sets
   • Code quality sets

3. Configure skips:

   • Legacy directories
   • Generated code
   • Migrations

4. Generate config:

   • Create rector.php
   • Add appropriate sets
   • Configure skips

Usage

Provide:

• Current PHP version
• Target PHP version
• Frameworks used
• Directories to process
• Directories to skip

The generator will:

1. Create rector.php configuration
2. Include appropriate version sets
3. Include framework sets
4. Configure quality improvements
5. Set up proper skips