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The doc command displays documentation for PHP functions, classes, methods, properties, and constants. It extracts information from docblocks and the PHP manual.

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Syntax

doc [options] <target>

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Aliases

  • rtfm (Read The Fine Manual)
  • man (Manual pages)

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Arguments

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target
code
required
Function, class, instance, constant, method, or property to document

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Options

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--all
flag
Alias: -aShow documentation for superclasses as well as the current class. Includes parent classes, interfaces, and traits.
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--update-manual
string
Download and install the latest PHP manual. Optionally specify a language code (e.g., fr, de, es).If no language is specified, uses the current language or defaults to English.

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Usage Examples

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Documenting Functions

>>> doc preg_replace

function preg_replace($pattern, $replacement, $subject, $limit = -1, &$count = null)

Description:
  Perform a regular expression search and replace

Parameters:
  $pattern      - The pattern to search for
  $replacement  - The replacement string or array
  $subject      - The string or array to search
  ...

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Documenting Classes

>>> doc PDO
>>> doc Psy\Shell
Shows class-level documentation including the class description, constructor, and available methods.

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Documenting Methods

>>> doc DateTime::format
>>> doc Psy\Shell::debug

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Documenting Instance Methods

>>> $shell = new Psy\Shell
>>> doc $shell->run
You can document methods on instances by using the -> operator.

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Documenting Properties

>>> $obj = new MyClass()
>>> doc $obj->propertyName

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Viewing Inherited Documentation

Use the --all flag to see documentation from parent classes: 
>>> doc --all MyChildClass
This will show documentation for MyChildClass followed by documentation from:
  • Parent classes
  • Implemented interfaces
  • Used traits
>>> doc --all ArrayIterator
Shows documentation for ArrayIterator, then Iterator, Traversable, etc.

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Inheriting Documentation

If a docblock contains {@inheritdoc}, the --all flag is automatically enabled: 
class Parent {
    /** Returns the name */
    public function getName() {}
}

class Child extends Parent {
    /** {@inheritdoc} */
    public function getName() {}
}

>>> doc Child::getName  // Automatically shows parent docs too

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PHP Manual Integration

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Installing the Manual

PsySH can download and use the official PHP manual for documenting core functions: 
>>> doc --update-manual
The manual is downloaded from psysh.org and cached locally for offline use.

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Language Support

Download the manual in different languages: 
>>> doc --update-manual=fr    // French
>>> doc --update-manual=de    // German  
>>> doc --update-manual=es    // Spanish
>>> doc --update-manual=pt_BR // Brazilian Portuguese

Downloading manual from psysh.org...
Download complete. Installing...

Restart PsySH to use the updated manual.

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Manual Location

The PHP manual is stored in:
  • Linux/macOS: ~/.local/share/psysh/
  • Windows: %APPDATA%/PsySH/

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Documenting Language Constructs

The doc command also works with PHP language constructs: 
>>> doc isset
>>> doc echo
>>> doc foreach
>>> doc array

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When Documentation is Missing

If no docblock exists and the PHP manual is not installed: 
>>> doc some_function

function some_function($arg1, $arg2)

PHP manual not found
    To document core PHP functionality, download the PHP reference manual:
    https://github.com/bobthecow/psysh/wiki/PHP-manual
User-defined functions without docblocks will only show the function signature.

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Magic Variables

After running doc, several magic variables are set:
  • $__class - The documented class name
  • $__method - The documented method name
  • $__function - The documented function name
  • $__namespace - The namespace of the documented element
>>> doc Psy\Shell::debug
>>> echo $__class
Psy\Shell
>>> echo $__method  
debug

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Tips

Use rtfm when you need a reminder of what a function does - it’s more fun than typing doc!
Combine with show to see both documentation and source code:
>>> doc MyClass::myMethod
>>> show MyClass::myMethod

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See Also

  • show - View source code
  • ls - List available methods and properties
  • dump - Inspect object values

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