Oussama GHAIEB

Tips, tricks, and code snippets for developers

Unlocking Composer: Useful and Lesser-Known Commands Every PHP Developer Should Know

Composer has become an indispensable tool for PHP developers. While most of us are familiar with commands like composer install and composer update, there are several lesser-known commands that can simplify workflows and enhance productivity. Let’s dive into some of these hidden gems.


1. composer outdated

What it does:
Lists all dependencies that have newer versions available. It’s a great way to keep track of outdated packages without immediately updating them.

Usage:

composer outdated

Pro tip: Use --direct to only show outdated dependencies you explicitly require.

composer outdated --direct

2. composer show

What it does:
Displays detailed information about installed packages, including version, description, and dependencies.

Usage:

composer show

Pro tip: Add the package name to get details about a specific dependency:

composer show vendor/package

3. composer dump-autoload

What it does:
Regenerates the autoloader files. Useful after adding classes or changing namespaces without modifying composer.json.

Usage:

composer dump-autoload

Pro tip: Use the --optimize flag for production environments to create an optimized class map.

composer dump-autoload --optimize

4. composer global

What it does:
Allows you to install and manage global Composer packages, such as tools like phpunit or laravel/installer.

Usage:

composer global require vendor/package

Pro tip: Check global dependencies with:

composer global show

5. composer depends (or why)

What it does:
Shows which packages depend on a specific dependency. Useful for debugging dependency conflicts.

Usage:

composer depends vendor/package

Pro tip: Use composer depends --tree vendor/package to display the dependency tree.


6. composer prohibits (or why-not)

What it does:
Shows which dependencies prevent a specific package or version from being installed.

Usage:

composer prohibits vendor/package

7. composer validate

What it does:
Checks the validity of your composer.json file and highlights errors or warnings.

Usage:

composer validate

Pro tip: Use --no-check-publish to skip checking publishability for private packages.


8. composer fund

What it does:
Lists funding information for dependencies, helping you discover projects that could use financial support.

Usage:

composer fund

9. composer create-project

What it does:
Sets up a new project by installing a specific package into a directory.

Usage:

composer create-project vendor/package my-project

Pro tip: Use --prefer-dist to download a package’s distribution archive for faster installations.


10. composer self-update

What it does:
Updates Composer itself to the latest version.

Usage:

composer self-update

Pro tip: Revert to a specific version using:

composer self-update --rollback

Conclusion

These lesser-known Composer commands can significantly improve your PHP development workflow. By mastering them, you’ll not only save time but also manage dependencies more effectively. If you have any hidden gems to share, feel free to leave a comment below!

Tags: #composer #php
Oussama GHAIEB - Laravel Certified Developer in Paris

Oussama GHAIEB

Laravel Certified Developer | Full-Stack Web Developer in Paris

14+ years experience 20+ projects
Read more about me →

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