php-type-safety

Enforce PHP type safety by combining runtime assertions using webmozart/assert with PHPDoc shapes and type aliases. This unifies runtime validation and static analysis, allowing PHPStan and Psalm to correctly understand and enforce complex array structures in strict mode.

The best way to validate dynamic data boundaries in PHP is applying runtime assertions at entry and exit points. Using webmozart/assert guards downstream operations, while PHPDoc templates and generics document intent to ensure type correctness across modules.

PHPStan fails on complex array shapes because standard type hints lack detail for dynamic data. By adding PHPDoc array shapes, type aliases, and webmozart/assert runtime checks, you provide the strict metadata static analyzers need to validate types without guessing.

You need webmozart/assert to satisfy strict static analysis because it provides runtime validation at dynamic boundaries. Combining these runtime checks with PHPDoc annotations ensures both runtime safety and static analyzer compliance for complex data structures.

Yes, you can use PHPDoc templates and generics to create strongly-typed PHP APIs. Documenting reusable APIs with PHPDoc type aliases and array shapes, alongside runtime assertions, ensures type correctness and clear intent across modules for static analysis.

Avoid using runtime assertions for PHP type checking in performance-critical loops where validation overhead is unnecessary. Instead, apply webmozart/assert strictly at entry and exit boundaries to guard downstream operations without impacting internal execution performance.