Dev Tools · 1h ago
PHP Attributes: Good for Metadata, Not for Documentation
PHP attributes are structured, machine-readable metadata that live close to the code, making them useful for route definitions, validation, and OpenAPI specs. However, they fail to explain intent, tradeoffs, or workflow, leading to technically populated but editorially useless docs. Developers should use attributes as a source layer feeding a richer documentation system, not as the sole strategy.
Meridian48 take
The article correctly warns against over-reliance on attributes, but the real issue is that many teams skip documentation entirely—attributes are a symptom, not the cause.
phpdocumentation