There are 2 ways to use PHPStan. You can use native levels, and official extensions and raise the level from 0 to 8. This is a good start, but it often requires enormous work and brings must-have value.

There is also a 2nd way: I wanted PHPStan **to be more fun and more tailored to the unique projects I work with**. That's why I made [symplify/phpstan-rules](https://github.com/symplify/phpstan-rules), a package that just crossed 6 200 000 downloads. It is one of the most used PHPStan extensions apart from official ones.

I put all the fun and practical rules there, and often they prove to be useful to others too.

But today I want you to move from end-user to **creator**.

Tomas Votruba

Learn how to create custom PHPStan rules tailored to your unique projects to make code analysis fun and practical. This guide walks you through developing simple but effective PHPStan rules that add value to your codebase, such as a rule for ensuring the `userId` parameter is always an integer. Emphasizing fun and utility without exhaustive testing, it encourages you to experiment with your own custom rules to keep the codebase clean and safe.

Create Weird Fun PHPStan Rules like Nobody's Watching