PHPStorm using specific PHP version for File Watcher with HERD

Managing multiple PHP versions in a development environment can sometimes lead to unexpected challenges. Tools like HERD facilitate the use of different PHP versions seamlessly. However, global PHP version settings might cause conflicts with project-specific tools. In this article, I will share my experience of configuring PHP-CS-Fixer to operate with PHP 8.4 for a specific project, despite having PHP 8.3 set globally.

The Challenge: Global PHP 8.3 Interfering with Project Requirements

Initially, I utilized File Watcher in my project directory to automate PHP-CS-Fixer execution. Despite having multiple PHP versions installed via HERD, the tool defaulted to the global PHP 8.3 version, leading to compatibility issues within my project, which required PHP 8.4. Below were my initial settings:

Initial File Watcher Configuration:

• Program: oguzhankaracabay/Desktop/projects/xxx/vendor/bin/php-cs-fixer

• Arguments: fix — using-cache=no -vvv — config=./public/bundles/.php-cs-fixer.dist.php $FilePath$

• Working Directory: $ProjectFileDir$

In this setup, PHP-CS-Fixer defaulted to the global PHP 8.3 version, causing discrepancies since my project was tailored for PHP 8.4.

The Solution: Configuring File Watcher to Use PHP 8.4

To resolve this, I explicitly directed File Watcher to utilize the PHP 8.4 version managed by HERD. The updated configuration was as follows.

Updated File Watcher Configuration:

• Program: /Users/oguzhankaracabay/Library/Application Support/Herd/bin/php84

• Arguments: /Users/oguzhankaracabay/Desktop/projects/XXX/vendor/bin/php-cs-fixer fix — using-cache=no -vvv — config=./php-cs-fixer.dist.php $FilePath$

• Working Directory: $ProjectFileDir$

• Environment Variables: PHP_CS_FIXER_IGNORE_ENV=1

By specifying the exact path to PHP 8.4 and setting the environment variable PHP_CS_FIXER_IGNORE_ENV=1, PHP-CS-Fixer operated under PHP 8.4 exclusively for this project, bypassing the global PHP 8.3 setting.

Conclusion

When working with multiple PHP versions using tools like HERD, it’s crucial to ensure that project-specific tools align with the required PHP version. Manually configuring tools such as File Watcher to point to the appropriate PHP executable can prevent potential conflicts arising from global PHP settings.

I hope this guide assists developers facing similar challenges in managing multiple PHP versions within their projects.