Discover Essential PhpStorm Plugins by Dmitrii Derepko

PhpStorm boasts a rich set of built-in features, further expandable through a vibrant ecosystem of plugins. These extensions introduce new languages, tools, and quality-of-life improvements that streamline daily coding tasks. Many of the most valuable plugins are developed by independent creators. Among them is Dmitrii Derepko, who has developed several practical tools for web projects and PHP development. Below is a selection of his notable contributions worth exploring.

.gitattributes Support

Developers working with libraries distributed via Composer, NPM, or other package managers are often familiar with the .gitattributes file. This file dictates how a project appears when archived (using git archive) and specifies which files are included or excluded when users install your package.

The .gitattributes Support plugin significantly enhances the editing experience for this file within PhpStorm. It provides syntax highlighting, recognizes attribute rules, and even offers valid auto-completion suggestions as you type, eliminating the need for constant lookups. These small details contribute to a smoother editing workflow and help prevent errors. Source on GitHub

Git Codeowners

For those utilizing GitHub or GitLab, the CODEOWNERS file is a common sight. It designates individuals or teams responsible for reviewing pull requests that modify specific sections of the codebase.

The Git CODEOWNERS plugin simplifies the editing process for this crucial file. It offers autocompletion for file paths and team names, alongside syntax validation to proactively identify and prevent mistakes before committing changes. Source on GitHub

Cron / Crontab Support

Cron is a classic utility for scheduling tasks, but its five-field syntax can be notoriously difficult to remember.

This plugin intelligently highlights errors in your cron expressions, translates them into clear English (e.g., “runs every Monday at 3 AM”), and even allows direct execution of cron commands from within PhpStorm, eliminating the need to switch to the terminal. Source on GitHub

Sitemap Support

Sitemaps are vital for informing search engines about the URLs exposed by your website and their last update times.

The Sitemap Support plugin offers a table-like XML editor for effortlessly managing and inspecting sitemap files. Users can differentiate between indexed and non-indexed pages, search or filter entries, and manually adjust URLs if their generator overlooks specific details. Source on GitHub

TempestPHP

This work-in-progress plugin introduces comprehensive support for Tempest, an upcoming PHP framework, into PhpStorm. Its features include support for Tempest’s custom view syntax, route and view file management, autocompletion for database models, and more. Source code on GitHub

Buggregator

Buggregator is a visual debugging toolkit that enables developers to inspect data dumps directly within PhpStorm.

By simply calling trap() in your PHP code, the plugin automatically launches a local server to listen for these calls and render the data in a docked panel. This eliminates the need for separate browser tabs or context switching. It also integrates smoothly with popular libraries like Ray, Symfony/VarDumper, Monolog, and Sentry. Source on GitHub

PHP Dump

PHP Dump leverages the PHP Opcodes Language to visualize your code’s compiled output in real-time.

This plugin tokenizes the current file, displays the Abstract Syntax Tree (AST), and provides Opcache details. It helps developers understand why a particular function might be performing slower than anticipated, all without executing the code. Source on GitHub

FileSystem Info

Occasionally, developers need to quickly identify which files in their project are consuming significant space or have been forgotten.

FileSystem Info scans your project tree and integrates file sizes directly into the project structure view. This allows for swift identification of large files. Source on GitHub

Git Churn

Git Churn provides insights into which files within your repository are subject to frequent modifications or, conversely, remain unchanged.

Frequent edits often indicate overly complex or unstable code. This plugin assists in pinpointing these hotspots, enabling developers to refactor with precision rather than speculation. Source on GitHub

This roundup highlights several plugins designed to enhance PhpStorm's capabilities and streamline the development workflow. If you have an idea for a PhpStorm plugin or encounter an aspect that could be automated or improved, consider sharing it – perhaps Dmitrii or another community member will develop it next!