php-arch-skills

Use this skill when applying clean-architecture, DDD, or hexagonal patterns inside a specific PHP framework. Provides framework-specific port mapping, adapter patterns, and pitfalls to avoid for Laravel, Symfony, Slim, CakePHP, CodeIgniter, Yii, Laminas, Mezzio, Zend Framework, and legacy/maintenance-mode frameworks. Triggers when a framework is named or when clean-architecture principles need framework-specific wiring guidance.

Use this skill when choosing a system-level architecture (monolith, modular monolith, microservices, event-driven, serverless, clean/hexagonal, or DDD) for a new or growing PHP application, or when weighing a premature move to a more distributed style. Provides a decision guide and the common pitfalls that cause distributed monoliths and premature complexity.

Use this skill when deciding whether to use rich domain objects vs lean ORM entities, choosing Transaction Script vs Table Module vs a Domain Model, identifying real business objects, or evaluating the cost-benefit of full DDD vs lean structure in a PHP application.

Use this skill when designing remote interfaces or APIs, deciding how coarse-grained an endpoint or operation should be, or shaping data that crosses a process or network boundary. Covers Remote Facade and DTO (Data Transfer Object). Triggers on questions about REST/GraphQL/gRPC endpoint design, exposing use cases remotely, avoiding chatty APIs, preventing ORM entities from leaking through the API, or carrying data safely across bounded contexts or layers.

Use this skill when writing controllers, structuring use cases, or implementing Service Layer / Application Layer and Command/Query/Handler (CQRS) patterns in PHP applications. Triggers on questions about thin controllers, handler responsibilities, service definition, or DTO usage.

Use this skill when designing system boundaries, discovering or defining bounded contexts, deciding where code belongs, or defining shared kernel and context map relationships in a PHP monolith.

Use this skill when wiring dependencies, configuring a DI container, designing plugin/extension points, or migrating away from legacy service locators in PHP. Triggers on questions about constructor injection, interface registration, swapping implementations, or testing without booting the container.

Use this skill when integrating third-party APIs, SDKs, or infrastructure services (like search engines or email). Provides rules for designing provider adapters/gateways, handling webhooks, and preventing vendor lock-in.

Use this skill when implementing database persistence, choosing a data source pattern, managing repository interfaces, writing mappers, or splitting large repositories. Assumes the decision between a rich domain model and a lean ORM model has already been made by the domain-modeling skill.

Use this skill when writing tests for a PHP application. Provides layer-specific guidance to choose the right testing style (unit, integration, feature) for domain objects, mappers, repositories, handlers, and controllers.

Use this skill when evaluating or implementing Event Sourcing in a PHP application. Triggers on questions about event stores, aggregates, projections, snapshots, event replay, temporal queries, CQRS with event sourcing, or PHP event-sourcing libraries (Ecotone, Prooph, EventSauce, Patchlevel). Distinguishes Event Sourcing from domain events and guides when the pattern is appropriate versus overkill.

Use this skill when building server-side web/HTTP request handling, controllers, views, or templates in PHP frameworks, or when a framework's "MVC" terminology causes confusion about where logic belongs. Triggers on questions about controllers, the Web MVC pattern, Action-Domain-Responder, view/template separation, or keeping HTTP and framework concerns out of the domain.

Use this skill when refactoring legacy PHP code toward a cleaner architecture. Provides guidance on incremental migrations (Strangler Fig), vertical slicing, writing characterization tests, and managing temporary compatibility shims.

Use this skill when introducing domain events, deciding how to decouple side-effects, or implementing the record-then-publish pattern in PHP apps. Triggers on questions about event naming, payloads, or cross-context ownership.