Tinkersan

A PHP Tinker Tool for VS Code. Debug and test PHP code in WordPress directly in VS Code.

Features

• Execute PHP code in framework context (Currently support WordPress)
• Auto-detect framework from project structure
• Automatic expression evaluation - see results without explicit echo/print
• Full object inspection using var_dump for detailed property viewing
• Auto-detection of WordPress installation
• Config file support for custom paths
• Multiple WordPress installations support - Context-aware detection and bootstrapping

Supported Frameworks

• WordPress: Complete integration with WordPress core and WooCommerce

Requirements

• PHP 7.4+
• Framework specific requirements:
  • WordPress: WordPress installation

Configuration

Auto-Detection

Tinkersan will automatically detect WordPress installations in:

• Workspace root
• Common subdirectories (public_html, public, www, htdocs, etc.)
• Parent directories of the current file
• From .tinkersan folders in plugin directories

Settings

• tinkersan.projectPath: Path to the PHP project (auto-detected if not set)
• tinkersan.framework: Framework to use (WordPress)
• tinkersan.verboseLogging: Enable detailed logging of detection process

Debug and Logging

Enable verbose logging to see detailed information about:

• WordPress root detection process
• Config file locations and contents
• Detection methods used
• Paths checked during auto-detection

Enable via settings:

{
    "tinkersan.verboseLogging": true
}

Or via config file:

{
    "wordpressRoot": "../../../..",
    "framework": "WordPress",
    "settings": {
        "verboseLogging": true
    }
}

Commands:

• Tinkersan: Show Debug Log - View detection logs and current configuration

Config File

Create a .tinkersan.json file in your .tinkersan folder:

{
    "wordpressRoot": "..",
    "framework": "WordPress",
    "customBootstrappers": [],
    "settings": {
        "autoDetect": true,
        "showDetectionNotice": true
    }
}

The wordpressRoot path is relative to the .tinkersan folder, so ".." points to the parent directory (workspace root).

Use the command Tinkersan: Create Config File to generate a sample config.

Multiple Config Files Priority

When multiple .tinkersan.json files exist, Tinkersan uses this priority order:

1. Context-aware: Config closest to the currently active file
2. Plugin-specific: Config in the same plugin as the active file
3. Workspace .tinkersan: Config in workspace .tinkersan folder
4. Workspace root: Config in workspace root (backward compatibility)

Example scenario:

workspace/
├── .tinkersan/.tinkersan.json          # Priority 3
├── .tinkersan.json                     # Priority 4
└── wp-content/plugins/my-plugin/
    └── .tinkersan/.tinkersan.json      # Priority 1 & 2 (if editing plugin files)

When editing files in my-plugin, it will use the plugin's config. When editing other files, it will use the workspace config.

Usage

1. Set project path in settings (or let it auto-detect)
2. Select framework or use auto-detection
3. Create new tinker file: Ctrl+Shift+P -> Tinkersan: New PHP File
4. Write PHP code with framework support
5. Run code: Ctrl+Enter or Cmd+Enter on Mac

Multiple WordPress Installations

Tinkersan supports workspaces with multiple WordPress installations. The extension intelligently detects and bootstraps the correct WordPress instance based on the current file context.

Example workspace structure:

workspace/
├── site1/
│   ├── wp-config.php
│   ├── wp-content/plugins/my-plugin/
│   │   └── .tinkersan/
│   │       └── .tinkersan.json  # Config for site1
│   └── .tinkersan/
│       └── test-site1.php
├── site2/
│   ├── wp-config.php
│   ├── wp-content/
│   └── .tinkersan/
│       ├── .tinkersan.json      # Config for site2
│       └── test-site2.php
└── .tinkersan/
    └── .tinkersan.json          # Global config (fallback)

How it works:

• When editing files in site1/, Tinkersan automatically uses the WordPress installation in site1/
• When editing files in site2/, it uses the WordPress installation in site2/
• Each installation can have its own configuration and plugins
• No manual switching required - it's completely context-aware

Plugin Development

You can use Tinkersan directly in your plugin development:

1. Create a .tinkersan folder in your plugin directory:

   wp-content/plugins/your-plugin/
   ├── .tinkersan/
   │   ├── .tinkersan.json
   │   └── test-functions.php
   ├── your-plugin.php
   └── includes/
   

2. The config file will automatically detect the correct WordPress root:

   {
       "wordpressRoot": "../../../..",
       "framework": "WordPress"
   }