wp-rocket-architecture

Use this skill when changing service structure, Subscribers, ServiceProviders, Container wiring, bootstrapping, Context classes, or any code that may affect the core caching engine in WP Rocket. Also

SKILL.md

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WP Rocket Architecture Integrity

Enforce architectural patterns and protect internal service structure.

Core principles

  • Every WordPress hook goes through a Subscriber — never add_action / add_filter directly.
  • Every new filter uses wpm_apply_filters_typed() — never apply_filters().
  • Plugin settings are read via injected Options_Data — never get_option().
  • All instantiation goes through the League Container — never new ClassName() in business code.
  • Do not modify inc/Dependencies/ (Mozart-bundled vendored code).

Subscriber pattern

class MySubscriber implements Subscriber_Interface {
    public static function get_subscribed_events(): array {
        return [
            'init'             => 'on_init',                      // priority 10, 1 arg
            'save_post'        => [ 'on_save_post', 10, 2 ],     // priority 10, 2 args
            'admin_menu'       => [
                [ 'add_menu',    9 ],
                [ 'add_submenu', 10 ],
            ],
        ];
    }
}

PHPStan enforces this: every method name in get_subscribed_events() must exist in the class (EnsureCallbackMethodsExistsInSubscribedEvents). Always implement the method before or alongside declaring it.

ServiceProvider pattern

class ServiceProvider extends AbstractServiceProvider {
    protected $provides = [ 'my_subscriber', 'my_controller' ];

    public function register(): void {
        $this->getContainer()->addShared( 'my_controller', Controller::class )
            ->addArguments( [ 'options', 'logger' ] );         // string = container key

        $this->getContainer()->addShared( 'my_subscriber', MySubscriber::class )
            ->addArgument( 'my_controller' );
    }
}
  • addShared() → singleton (same instance every get() call)
  • add() → factory (new instance every call)
  • String arguments are container keys; use new StringArgument('...') for literal strings, new ArrayArgument([...]) for literal arrays.

Context classes

Features that are conditionally active encapsulate that logic in a Context class rather than inlining checks in the Subscriber:

inc/Engine/MyFeature/
└── Context/
    └── Context.php   // should_run(): bool — inject into Subscriber

The Subscriber calls $this->context->is_allowed() (or similar) as a guard clause. This keeps the Subscriber clean and the condition unit-testable in isolation.

wpm_apply_filters_typed() — mandatory for all new filters

// ❌ Flagged by PHPStan (DiscourageApplyFilters)
$value = apply_filters( 'rocket_my_filter', $default );

// ✅ Required — with full docblock
/**
 * Filters the custom value.
 *
 * @param string $value The value.
 * @return string
 */
$value = wpm_apply_filters_typed( 'string', 'rocket_my_filter', $default );

Available types: 'string', 'integer', 'boolean', 'array', 'string[]'.

Option objects — mandatory for reading plugin settings

// ❌ Flagged by PHPStan (DiscourageWPOptionUsage)
$setting = get_option( 'wp_rocket_settings' );

// ✅ Required — inject Options_Data via constructor (PHP 7.3+ compatible)
/** @var Options_Data */
private $options;

public function __construct( Options_Data $options ) {
    $this->options = $options;
}

$setting = $this->options->get( 'option_key', $default );

Constants — read through rocket_get_constant()

Read WordPress and WP Rocket constants with rocket_get_constant(), cast to the type the code expects, with a default that matches WordPress core. Raw constants can't be changed per test, and their value types vary by WordPress version and wp-config (for example, COOKIE_DOMAIN is false before WP 6.6 or when defined as false).

// ❌ Not mockable, and a TypeError when the constant isn't a string
$this->set_cookie( $name, $value, $expire, COOKIEPATH, COOKIE_DOMAIN, $secure, true );

// ✅ Required
$cookie_path   = (string) rocket_get_constant( 'COOKIEPATH', '/' );
$cookie_domain = (string) rocket_get_constant( 'COOKIE_DOMAIN', '' );

In unit tests, don't define() constants, use @runInSeparateProcess, or stub rocket_get_constant yourself. The base TestCase::setUp() already stubs it (tests/StubTrait.php), and it returns values from $this->constants. Set only the keys the test needs, and never replace the whole array:

// ❌ Wipes out keys set by the base test setup
$this->constants = [ 'COOKIE_DOMAIN' => false ];

// ✅ Required
$this->constants['COOKIE_DOMAIN'] = false;

PHPStan custom rules — all must pass

Rule Implication
DiscourageApplyFilters Use wpm_apply_filters_typed()
DiscourageWPOptionUsage Use Options_Data injection
EnsureCallbackMethodsExistsInSubscribedEvents Implement every method you declare in get_subscribed_events()
NoHooksInORM No add_action, add_filter, apply_filters inside Database/Tables/ or Database/Queries/ classes

Standard module directory structure

inc/Engine/MyFeature/
├── ServiceProvider.php          # all bindings + declares $provides
├── Context/
│   └── Context.php             # feature availability guard
├── Admin/
│   └── Subscriber.php          # admin-only hooks
├── Frontend/
│   ├── Controller.php          # business logic
│   └── Subscriber.php          # frontend hooks
└── Database/                   # only when custom tables are needed
    ├── Tables/MyFeature.php    # BerlinDB schema, version YYYYMMDD
    ├── Queries/MyFeature.php   # query builder
    ├── Rows/MyFeature.php      # row model
    └── Schemas/MyFeature.php   # column definitions

BerlinDB table versioning

protected $version = 20251006;  // YYYYMMDD
protected $upgrades = [
    20251006 => 'add_new_column',
];
protected function add_new_column(): void {
    // ALTER TABLE with $wpdb->prepare
}

Structural guardrails

Avoid:

  • Global state or new singletons outside the container
  • Static helpers replacing injected services
  • Business logic inside ServiceProvider register() — wiring only
  • Hooks or filters inside Database/Query/Table classes (NoHooksInORM)

Git Operations

Follow the policy defined in AGENTS.md §5.1. Outside the issue workflow, do not run git commit or git push.

Pull request descriptions

Every PR body must follow .claude/skills/issue-workflow/refs/pr-template.md with its section headings copied exactly, including "What was tested" and "Mandatory Checklist". This applies outside the issue workflow too. The PR Template Checker CI (wp-media/pr-checklist-action) fails otherwise. Full rules are in .github/instructions/pull-request.instructions.md.