10 Symfony Folder Structure Best Practices
If you're working with the Symfony framework, it's important to follow best practices for folder structure. This will help keep your project organized and easy to maintain.
Symfony is a popular PHP framework used to develop web applications. It is a powerful tool that helps developers create complex applications quickly and easily. However, it is important to understand the Symfony folder structure and how to organize your files in order to make the most of the framework.
In this article, we will discuss 10 best practices for organizing your Symfony folder structure. We will look at how to structure your files, how to organize your code, and how to keep your project organized and maintainable.
1. Use the app/config folder for all your configuration files
The app/config folder is the central location for all your configuration files. This makes it easier to find and manage them, as well as keep track of changes over time. It also helps ensure that any changes you make are applied across all environments (e.g., development, staging, production).
Additionally, this folder structure allows you to easily share configurations between different projects, which can be especially useful if you’re working on multiple Symfony applications at once.
2. Put your controllers in src/Controller
Controllers are the entry point for your application, and they should be easy to find. By putting them in src/Controller, you make it easier for developers to quickly locate and modify controllers when needed. This also helps keep your code organized and makes it easier to debug any issues that may arise.
Additionally, having a dedicated folder for controllers allows you to easily add new ones without worrying about conflicting with existing files or folders. This is especially important if you’re working on a large project with multiple developers.
3. Create a bundle for each feature or domain of your application
Bundles are the building blocks of Symfony applications. They allow you to organize your code into logical units, making it easier to maintain and extend in the future. By creating a bundle for each feature or domain, you can keep related code together and make sure that changes to one part of the application don’t affect other parts. This also makes it easier to reuse code across multiple projects.
4. Don’t create bundles with just one class
When you create a bundle, it should contain multiple classes that are related to each other. This helps keep your code organized and makes it easier for developers to find the files they need. It also allows you to reuse code more easily since all of the related classes will be in one place.
Creating bundles with just one class can lead to confusion and make it difficult to maintain your codebase. So, when creating bundles, make sure to include multiple classes that are related to each other.
5. Use the var directory to store temporary and cache files
The var directory is the only folder in Symfony that can be written to by the web server. This means that any files stored here will not be overwritten when you deploy a new version of your application. It also makes it easier to manage temporary and cache files, as they are all located in one place.
Finally, using the var directory for these types of files helps keep your project organized and easy to maintain. By following this best practice, you’ll ensure that your project remains clean and efficient.
6. Store your fixtures in tests/fixtures
Fixtures are used to populate the database with test data, and they should be stored in a separate folder from your application code. This helps keep your tests isolated from your production environment, which is important for ensuring that your tests run reliably and accurately.
By storing fixtures in tests/fixtures, you can easily access them when running tests, while also keeping them out of sight from your production environment. Additionally, this makes it easier to manage your fixtures since they’re all located in one place.
7. Keep templates organized by bundle, controller, and action
When you have a large project with multiple bundles, controllers, and actions, it can be difficult to keep track of all the templates. By organizing them in this way, you make it easier for developers to find the template they need quickly and easily. It also helps ensure that each bundle has its own set of templates, which makes it easier to maintain consistency across the application. Finally, it allows developers to reuse code more efficiently since they don’t have to search through multiple folders to find the right template.
8. Use the web directory as the document root
The web directory is the only publicly accessible folder in a Symfony project. This means that all of your sensitive files, such as configuration and source code, are kept out of reach from malicious actors. Additionally, this helps keep your application secure by preventing any unauthorized access to these files.
By using the web directory as the document root, you can also ensure that all requests for static assets (such as images, CSS, and JavaScript) are routed through the same entry point. This makes it easier to manage and maintain your application’s security settings.
9. Use the public directory only for static assets
The public directory is the only folder that’s accessible to web browsers, so it should contain only files that are necessary for the website to function. This includes images, CSS and JavaScript files, as well as any other static assets. Keeping these files in the public directory ensures they can be accessed quickly and easily by web browsers.
By keeping all of your dynamic code out of the public directory, you also ensure that it remains secure from malicious actors. If someone were to gain access to your server, they would not be able to view or modify any of your application logic.
10. Use the bin directory for scripts that are not part of your project
The bin directory is a special folder in Symfony that allows you to store scripts and other executable files. This helps keep your project organized, as it keeps all of the code related to your project in one place. It also makes it easier for developers to find what they need quickly, since everything is stored in one location. Additionally, this helps ensure that any changes made to the scripts are tracked properly, making it easier to debug issues or roll back changes if needed.
