PHP Workbench

A dedicated workspace for PHP development and experimentation. Test PHP code snippets instantly with full access to your project's Composer dependencies, custom classes, and framework components - no temporary files or terminal switching required.

Modern PHP development relies heavily on Composer packages. PHP Workbench automatically detects and includes your project's vendor/autoload.php, giving you instant access to test package integrations, debug business logic, and experiment with your actual project dependencies without disrupting your workflow.

Demo

Features

🚀 Instant PHP Execution

• Execute PHP code snippets with Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter)
• See results in the PHP Workbench Results view
• Automatic Composer integration - uses your project's vendor/autoload.php automatically
• Full error handling with line numbers and stack traces
• No need for <?php tags - just write PHP code
• Open a native VS Code diff (original → processed) with one click

📝 Smart Scratchpad Management

• Full VS Code features: syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, debugging
• Multiple scratchpads for different experiments, all with shared context
• No temp files or context switching—stay in flow inside VS Code

Installation

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "PHP Workbench"
4. Click Install

Quick Start

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Type "PHP Workbench: New Scratchpad"
3. A new untitled PHP file opens in your editor
4. Write your PHP code (no need for <?php tags, but they may help your other tools)
5. Press Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter) to execute
6. Results appear in the "PHP Workbench" Results view

That's it!

Usage

Creating Scratchpads

• Command Palette: PHP Workbench: New Scratchpad
• Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+N (or Cmd+Alt+N)

Executing Code

• Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter)
• Command Palette: PHP Workbench: Execute Code

Scratchpad Management

• Scratchpads are simply PHP language text files
• Close anytime - PHP Workbench will clean up after itself
• Use regular VS Code features: syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, etc.

Configuration

Zero Configuration

PHP Workbench works out of the box with sensible defaults:

• PHP: Uses php command from your PATH
• Composer: Automatically detects and includes vendor/autoload.php from your workspace
• Results: Results appear in a dedicated "PHP Workbench" Results view

Settings

Tune behavior from Settings → Extensions → PHP Workbench:

• phpWorkbench.debug (boolean, default: false)
  • Flip on diagnostic logs when needed. See runner logs in the Output channel.
• phpWorkbench.logFile (string, default: empty)
  • Prefer files? Send runner logs to a path you control. Empty = STDERR.
• phpWorkbench.timeout (number, default: 30)
  • Guard rails for runaway code. 30s by default; set to 0 for no limit.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Use Cases

Perfect for:

• Package integration testing - Test how third-party packages work with your data before committing to implementation
• API exploration - Test API calls with real HTTP clients and logging
• Business logic debugging - Isolate complex logic with actual project dependencies
• Database query testing - Test ORM queries and relationships without running full application
• Configuration validation - Test environment-specific configurations and service integrations
• Learning new packages - Experiment with package APIs in your project context

Examples

Quick Function Testing

function calculateTotal($items) {
    return array_sum(array_column($items, 'price'));
}

$items = [
    ['name' => 'Item 1', 'price' => 10.50],
    ['name' => 'Item 2', 'price' => 25.00],
];

echo "Total: $" . calculateTotal($items);

API Testing

$url = "https://api.github.com/users/octocat";

$opts = [
    'http' => [
            'method' => 'GET',
            'header' => [
                    'User-Agent: PHP Workbench',
                    'Content-type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
            ]
    ]
];

$context = stream_context_create($opts);
$response = file_get_contents($url, false, $context);
$body = json_decode($response, true);

return $body['name'];

Testing Package Integrations

Same API call as above, but using your project's Composer dependencies for better logging and HTTP handling:

// Works with ANY Composer project - automatically includes vendor/autoload.php
use Monolog\Logger;
use Monolog\Handler\StreamHandler;
use GuzzleHttp\Client;

// Test logging behavior by routing the stream to php's output
$logger = new Logger('test');
$logger->pushHandler(new StreamHandler('php://output', Logger::DEBUG));

// Test HTTP client with your actual configs
$client = new Client();
$response = $client->get('https://api.github.com/users/octocat');

$logger->info('API Response', [
    'status' => $response->getStatusCode(),
    'user' => json_decode($response->getBody(), true)['name']
]);

Requirements

• VS Code 1.99.3 (earlier versions will likely work, but not tested)
• PHP installed on your system
• That's it!

Troubleshooting

Code not executing:

• Check if PHP is installed: php --version

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details on how to:

• Report bugs
• Suggest new features
• Submit pull requests
• Improve documentation

License

This extension is licensed under the MIT License.

Support

• Documentation: GitHub Wiki
• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

Happy PHP Coding! 🐘

PHP Workbench: Your dedicated workspace for PHP development and experimentation.