Can't find a sniffer that removes extra (more than 1) blank lines

[javaDeveloperKid]

Hi, I have both PHP_CodeSniffer and PHPCSExtra installed and I can't find a sniffer (or sniffers that when combined give that effect) that removes extra blank lines.

Example:

function foo()
{
    echo 'one';

-                  
    echo 'two';
}

[jrfnl]

Try Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace

[javaDeveloperKid]

However the doc says it should work vendor/bin/phpcs --generator=Text --standard=Squiz --sniffs=Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace (btw. if it worked then would it work even outside a function?)

There should be no consecutive blank lines in functions.

----------------------------------------- CODE COMPARISON ------------------------------------------
| Valid: Functions do not contain multiple empty | Invalid: Functions contain multiple empty       |
| lines in a row.                                | lines in a row.                                 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| function myFunction()                          | function myFunction()                           |
| {                                              | {                                               |
|     echo 'code here';                          |     echo 'code here';                           |
|                                                |                                                 |
|     echo 'code here';                          |                                                 |
| }                                              |     echo 'code here';                           |
|                                                | }                                               |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[javaDeveloperKid]

Hmmm, I've commented out all other rules in config file and it worked (this one was the last one in the file). Wondering why 🤔

[javaDeveloperKid]

Probably because PSR12 ruleset has this:

    <rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace.EmptyLines">
        <severity>0</severity>
    </rule>

[jrfnl]

I wouldn't have mentioned it if it didn't...

Hmmm, I've commented out all other rules in config file and it worked (this one was the last one in the file). Wondering why

You're probably including a predefined ruleset which already includes that sniff, but excludes the Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace.EmptyLines error code.

Revert whatever changes you made in your ruleset now and try adding the below towards the end instead:

<rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace.EmptyLines">
    <severity>5</severity>
</rule>

That should overrule the earlier exclusion.

[javaDeveloperKid]

@jrfnl I wonder:

• why my line <rule ref="Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace"/> doesn't reset the one from PSR12 ruleset that is being imported earlier. It feel like it should reset the whole rule, i.e. also the specific error identifiers (EmptyLines, EndFile, StartFIle) which are a subset of that rule so when the root rule is overwritten then it should reset everything
• where can I find this identifiers after last dot (EmptyLines, StartFile, EmptyLines)? They're not in Sniff file nor in the vendor/bin/phpcs --generator=Text --standard=Squiz --sniffs=Squiz.WhiteSpace.SuperfluousWhitespace output. (actually they are but somewhere deep inside process() method the implementation)

[javaDeveloperKid]

BTW. This sniff doesn't work outside a method/function

Example:

class Foo
{
    use MyTrait;


    private const MY_CONST = 1;
}

[jrfnl]

where can I find this identifiers after last dot (EmptyLines, StartFile, EmptyLines)?

Run with the -s flag and you get to see the error codes.

They're not in Sniff file

They are, as that's where they are coming from.

PHP_CodeSniffer/src/Standards/Squiz/Sniffs/WhiteSpace/SuperfluousWhitespaceSniff.php

Lines 245 to 246 in 329ad21

	$error = 'Functions must not contain multiple empty lines in a row; found %s empty lines';
	$fix = $phpcsFile->addFixableError($error, $stackPtr, 'EmptyLines', [$lines]);

why my line doesn't reset the one from PSR12 ruleset that is being imported earlier. It feel like it should reset the whole rule, i.e. also the specific error identifiers (EmptyLines, EndFile, StartFIle) which are a subset of that rule so when the root rule is overwritten then it should reset everything

That's something historical. Changing it, however, would be a breaking change, so can't be done easily.
I know there is a change in PHPCS 4.0 in how the ruleset gets read, but I don't know for sure if that would change the behaviour you are experiencing.

[jrfnl]

BTW. This sniff doesn't work outside a method/function

Correct and that's by design. There are other sniffs which have (configurable) rules about number of blank lines between functions, properties, use statements etc.

Having one "catch-all" sniff for blank lines would very quickly create conflict with other sniffs, especially when auto-fixing, so having these rules in different sniffs, each with their own concern helps prevent that.