Psalm: Suppressing Non-Plugin Errors For Clean Code

Hey everyone! Let's dive into a common challenge faced by plugin developers using Psalm: how to suppress those pesky non-plugin errors. You know, the ones that come from Psalm's built-in rules rather than your own plugin's specific checks. It's a real head-scratcher, and I've been wrestling with it myself.

The Problem: Too Much Noise

So, here's the deal. When you're crafting a plugin, you naturally want to focus on the errors and issues that your plugin is designed to catch. But Psalm, being the thorough static analysis tool it is, also throws in its two cents with its own set of rules. This can lead to a flood of errors, many of which are irrelevant to your plugin's core functionality. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack, right? For instance, you might be getting errors related to coding standards or best practices that, while important in general, aren't the primary focus of your plugin.

Why is this a problem? Well, it makes it harder to identify the real issues that your plugin is meant to address. It also adds extra work for users, who have to sift through a bunch of irrelevant errors to get to the ones that matter. And let’s face it, nobody wants a tool that creates more noise than signal.

Take, for instance, a scenario where your plugin is designed to enforce specific naming conventions for database tables. You don't want to be bogged down by Psalm's warnings about unused variables or overly complex functions in other parts of the codebase. You need a way to tell Psalm, “Hey, focus on my rules for now.” This ensures a cleaner, more efficient development process, allowing you to concentrate on the specific problems your plugin is designed to solve.

Existing Approaches and Their Limitations

Okay, so what are our options? Let's explore some common approaches and why they might not be ideal for plugin development.

1. Baseline Approach

The baseline approach involves generating a baseline file that tells Psalm to ignore existing errors. This sounds promising, but there's a catch. For plugin distribution, it's not very practical. Why? Because it adds complexity to the user's workflow. Imagine asking your users to generate a baseline file before they can even start using your plugin. That's not a great user experience, is it? It also assumes that the user's codebase is relatively stable, which might not always be the case. Plus, maintaining the baseline file can become a chore over time, especially as the codebase evolves.

2. XML Configuration

Another option is to use Psalm's XML configuration file to specify the rules you want to include or exclude. This gives you more fine-grained control, but it also requires you to list every single rule you want to enable. That's tedious, to say the least. And here's the kicker: Psalm's rules can change over time. So, you'd have to constantly update your configuration file to keep it in sync with the latest version of Psalm. Ugh, talk about a maintenance nightmare!

3. Inline Suppression

Inline suppression involves adding @psalm-suppress annotations directly in your code to suppress specific errors. This might work for a small number of errors, but it's not a scalable solution for plugin distribution. Imagine asking your users to add these annotations all over their codebase. That's a recipe for frustration and code clutter. Plus, it makes the code harder to read and maintain. It's like trying to silence a room full of people by putting tape over their mouths – inefficient and annoying!

The Core Question: Can We Isolate Plugin Errors?

So, after exploring these approaches, the fundamental question remains: Is there a way to tell Psalm to focus solely on the errors reported by my plugin, without being bombarded by its built-in rules? Is there a magic switch or configuration setting that I'm missing in the documentation? It's like PHP_CodeSniffer's ability to limit the scan to a single standard, which is super handy. Is there a Psalm equivalent for plugin authors? This is what I'm trying to figure out, guys.

Diving Deeper: What the Docs Say (and Don't Say)

I've spent a good amount of time poring over the Psalm documentation, searching for clues on how to achieve this level of isolation. While the docs are comprehensive in many areas, they seem to lack a clear and straightforward solution for this specific use case. There's plenty of information on configuring Psalm, suppressing errors, and writing plugins, but nothing that directly addresses the issue of suppressing non-plugin errors when developing a plugin.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, or perhaps there's a hidden gem buried deep within the configuration options. But as far as I can tell, Psalm doesn't offer a simple way to say, “Hey, only show me the errors that originate from my plugin's rules.” This is a bit of a bummer, because it means that plugin authors have to resort to workarounds or accept the extra noise.

It's like having a powerful search engine that always returns irrelevant results along with the ones you're looking for. You end up spending more time filtering out the noise than actually finding what you need. And in the world of plugin development, where time is of the essence, that's not ideal. So, the quest continues to find a better way to isolate plugin errors and keep our development process clean and efficient.

Possible Solutions and Workarounds

Okay, so if there's no built-in way to suppress non-plugin errors, what can we do? Let's brainstorm some possible solutions and workarounds.

1. Custom Rule Sets

One approach could be to create a custom rule set that includes only the rules relevant to your plugin. This would involve defining a new XML configuration file that extends Psalm's default configuration but excludes the rules you don't want. This is similar to the XML configuration approach mentioned earlier, but with a more focused scope. Instead of listing every single rule you want to enable, you would list the rules you want to disable. This might be slightly less tedious, but it still requires you to keep track of Psalm's default rules and update your configuration file as needed.

2. Code Analysis Pipeline

Another idea is to create a code analysis pipeline that runs Psalm in two stages. The first stage would run Psalm with its default configuration, and the second stage would run your plugin's specific checks. You could then filter the results from the second stage to remove any errors that were also reported in the first stage. This would effectively isolate the errors that are unique to your plugin. This approach would require some scripting and automation, but it could be a more robust solution in the long run. It's like having a two-step filtering process to remove the noise and focus on the signal.

3. Community Collaboration

Perhaps the best solution would be to collaborate with the Psalm community to request a built-in feature for suppressing non-plugin errors. This could involve creating a feature request on Psalm's GitHub repository and discussing the issue with the developers and other users. If there's enough interest, the Psalm team might consider adding a dedicated option for plugin authors to isolate their errors. This would be the most elegant solution, as it would eliminate the need for workarounds and make plugin development much easier.

Conclusion: A Call for a Cleaner Plugin Development Experience

In conclusion, while Psalm is a powerful static analysis tool, it currently lacks a straightforward way to suppress non-plugin errors when developing a plugin. This can lead to a noisy and inefficient development experience, as plugin authors have to sift through irrelevant errors to find the ones that matter. Existing approaches, such as the baseline approach, XML configuration, and inline suppression, have limitations that make them less than ideal for plugin distribution.

Therefore, there's a clear need for a cleaner plugin development experience in Psalm. Whether it's through custom rule sets, code analysis pipelines, or a built-in feature, the ability to isolate plugin errors would greatly benefit plugin authors and make Psalm an even more valuable tool for the PHP community. So, let's keep exploring possible solutions and advocating for a better way to develop plugins with Psalm. Happy coding, everyone! Let's make sure our code is not just functional, but also clean and maintainable. And let's push for tools that help us achieve that goal with ease and efficiency.