EditorConfig for PHP Projects

Also Known As

TL;DR

Explanation

EditorConfig defines per-file-type settings (indent_style, indent_size, end_of_line, charset, trim_trailing_whitespace, insert_final_newline) in a .editorconfig at the project root. Most editors support it natively (PhpStorm, VS Code) or via plugin. For PHP projects: indent_style = space, indent_size = 4 (PSR-12), end_of_line = lf, charset = utf-8. EditorConfig catches whitespace inconsistencies before they reach the linter — a developer on Windows won't accidentally commit CRLF line endings. Pair with .gitattributes text=auto for consistent line endings in the repository itself regardless of developer OS.

Common Misconception

Why It Matters

Common Mistakes

• Not committing .editorconfig — only the developer who created it benefits.
• Not installing the EditorConfig plugin for editors that require it (VS Code, Vim, Emacs).
• Mixing tabs and spaces in a project without .editorconfig enforcing one style.
• Windows CRLF line endings in a Unix project causing spurious diffs — .editorconfig enforces LF.

Code Examples

# No .editorconfig — every developer uses different settings:
# Dev A: 4-space indent, LF
# Dev B: 2-space indent, CRLF
# Dev C: tabs, LF
# git diff shows whitespace changes mixed with real changes in every PR

# .editorconfig:
root = true
[*.php]
indent_style = space
indent_size = 4
end_of_line = lf
charset = utf-8

# .editorconfig — consistent editor settings across all contributors
root = true

[*]
charset             = utf-8
end_of_line         = lf
insert_final_newline = true
trim_trailing_whitespace = true

[*.php]
indent_style = space
indent_size  = 4

[*.{yml,yaml}]
indent_style = space
indent_size  = 2

[*.json]
indent_style = space
indent_size  = 2

[Makefile]
indent_style = tab

[*.md]
trim_trailing_whitespace = false  # markdown uses trailing spaces for line breaks

# Supported by: VS Code (EditorConfig extension), PhpStorm (built-in), Vim, Emacs, Sublime

References

• ↗ https://editorconfig.org/

Tags

Related Terms