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Overview

Overview

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Getting started Installation and activation Editor features Debugging Profiling Testing Project configuration Free vs Pro Troubleshooting Diagnostic Codes Release Versioning

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Free vs Pro

PhpThunder's free tier is genuinely capable. You get a full PHP language server, Xdebug-based debugging, test discovery, diagnostics, formatting, and Composer integration — everything you need to be productive in a PHP project without spending a cent.

Pro adds the features that remove repetitive friction at scale: renaming things confidently, generating boilerplate you'd otherwise type by hand, profiling slow code, and seeing variable values inline while debugging.

This page reflects the current access boundary in the extension.

Included in Free

The full base editing experience — everything in this list is available without a license:

  • Code intelligence: completion, hover, go-to-definition, find references, import suggestions, and PHPDoc-backed inference for templates, array shapes, dynamic return types, magic methods, fluent APIs, aliases, and higher-order callbacks
  • Diagnostics: parse errors, type analysis, PHPDoc issues, unused imports, unused private members
  • Quick fixes and source actions: organize imports, generate PHPDoc stubs, pick import candidates
  • Formatting: PSR-12 formatter with EditorConfig support and all standard VS Code editor settings (indentation, line endings, final newline, trailing whitespace)
  • PHPUnit and Pest: full Test Explorer integration including discovery, run, and debug
  • Xdebug debugging: CLI launch, web server launch, and attach mode
  • Composer helpers: install, update, require, dump-autoload, validate
  • Include-path and interpreter management
  • TODO panel tools

Requires Pro

These workflows unlock with Pro access or an active trial:

Feature Why it matters
Rename Symbol Safely renames a class, method, function, or variable everywhere it's used across the whole project. No search-and-replace, no missed references.
Generate Getter / Setter Creates typed accessor methods for properties without writing boilerplate.
Generate missing accessors Scans a class and fills in all missing getters and setters in one action.
Implement Missing Methods Generates stubs for all abstract and interface methods a class is required to implement.
Pro code fixes (CF diagnostics) A set of extra quick fixes beyond the free tier that fix code-quality patterns automatically.
Formatting style customization Controls array layout, parameter style, brace positions, spacing, and more via phpThunder.formatting.* settings.
Profile Current File Captures a Xdebug cachegrind profile for the active PHP script in one command.
Start Web Profiling Starts a local PHP server with profiling enabled so you can profile real HTTP requests.
Open Profiler Reviews and compares captured cachegrind profiles in a built-in panel.
Inline debug values Shows current variable and expression values right in the editor while a debug session is paused — no need to switch to the Variables panel.

Pro also adds starred completion suggestions — the strongest match is pre-selected and top candidates are flagged — so the completion list requires fewer keystrokes.

Feature matrix

Workflow Free Pro
Code intelligence & navigation ✓ ✓ + starred suggestions
Diagnostics & basic code actions ✓ ✓ + Pro code fixes
Formatting ✓ ✓ + style customization
PHPUnit & Pest (Test Explorer) ✓ ✓
Xdebug debugging ✓ ✓ + inline debug values
Composer helpers & TODO tools ✓ ✓
Rename Symbol ✓
Accessor generation ✓
Implement Missing Methods ✓
Profiling (CLI & web) ✓

Trial and activation

PhpThunder offers a 30-day Pro trial — full access to every Pro feature. The trial starts automatically when you first install the extension. No sign-in or activation step is needed to begin the trial.

The status bar shows your current state:

Status Meaning
PHP Free Base features only
PHP Trial Full Pro access during the trial period
PHP Pro Active Pro license
PHP Grace Period License recently expired; Pro features stay available temporarily

For pricing plans and subscription details, visit sailantis.com.