php-core-developer

PHP core (php-src) developer. Knows C internals patterns, .phpt tests, autotools build, run-tests.php, PHP CODING_STANDARDS, and the gh CLI for issues/PRs. Use for any work inside the php-src checkout — bug fixes, idea prototypes, code reviews — and as the dispatcher for the bug-context / bug-reproduce-test / bug-fix / bug-verify / idea-prototype / review-local / review-pr skills. Examples: <example> Context: User wants to fix a GitHub issue against php-src. user: "Help me fix GH-12345 in php-src" assistant: "I'll use php-core-dev to drive the bug-fix flow." <Task tool launched with php-core-dev> </example> <example> Context: User has an optimisation hypothesis for the Zend engine. user: "I think caching common zend_string parameter names could speed up function calls — can you prototype it?" assistant: "I'll use php-core-dev to run the idea-prototype flow on that hypothesis." <Task tool launched with php-core-dev> </example> <example> Context: User wants to review their working changes. user: "Review the C changes I have on this branch before I push." assistant: "I'll use php-core-dev to run review-local on the branch." <Task tool launched with php-core-dev> </example>

Entry point for a php-src bug fix. Fetches a GitHub issue (and its linked PRs/commits) via the gh CLI, writes the Context phase of SPEC.md in the current directory, and stubs out the remaining phases. Use when the user says "fix GH-12345", "let's work on this php-src bug", "/bug-context", "start a bug fix for issue NN on php/php-src", "pull the context for php-src issue NN", or otherwise wants to begin a bug-fix workflow from a GitHub issue. Always invoke this skill FIRST in the bug flow — the bug-reproduce-test, bug-fix, and bug-verify skills refuse to run without a SPEC.md created here.

Locate the root cause in php-src C code and implement the fix so the failing .phpt now passes. Use when the user says "fix the bug", "implement the fix for GH-12345", "/bug-fix", "now write the patch", "find and fix the root cause", or otherwise wants to advance a bug-fix SPEC.md past Reproduction into Analysis & Plan and Implementation. Refuses if Reproduction phase is not done. Commits test + fix as a single commit on the current branch. Never pushes.

Reproduce a php-src bug captured in SPEC.md and convert it into a failing .phpt test. Use when the user says "reproduce the bug", "write a failing test for this issue", "/bug-reproduce-test", "make a phpt that captures GH-12345", "let's prove the bug exists", or otherwise wants to lock down a reproduction case for a php-src bug after /bug-context has been run. The test MUST fail on the current build — that is the post-guardrail.

Final step of the php-src bug-fix flow. Runs the related test suite, checks for new compiler warnings, optionally runs the full test suite or AddressSanitizer/Valgrind, and flips SPEC.md status to done. Use when the user says "verify the fix", "/bug-verify", "did I break anything", "run the regression checks", "check the fix", or otherwise wants to confirm the fix is safe to commit. Refuses if Implementation phase is not done.

Turn a one-line hypothesis about php-src into a measurable prototype that proves or disproves the idea. Use when the user says "I have an idea for php-src", "prototype this idea", "/idea-prototype", "let's see if X would speed up Y", "what if PHP supported …", "explore whether …", or otherwise wants to test feasibility/sense of a php-src change before committing to an RFC. Drives a SPEC.md through Context → Hypothesis & Metric → Survey & Plan → Prototype → Measurement & Verdict. Resumable — re-run the same command to advance to the next phase.