Introduction: Why Code Review Matters More Than Ever
Building enterprise-grade Laravel applications isn’t just about adding features or deploying fast—it’s about maintaining code quality, security, and performance at scale. If you’ve ever worked on a large PHP monolith with 20+ developers, you know the pain:
- Inconsistent coding standards make your codebase unreadable.
- Security flaws sneak in through unvalidated inputs or poor auth checks.
- Performance bottlenecks occur due to unoptimized MongoDB queries.
- CI/CD breaks because of sloppy commits.
Traditional manual code reviews catch some issues, but they’re time-consuming and inconsistent. Automated static analyzers like PHPStan and PHPCS help, but they don’t understand Laravel-specific best practices or your business rules.
That’s why I built Codementor-AI — a powerful, open-source code review system designed specifically for Laravel + MongoDB projects.
Meet Codementor-AI
Codementor-AI is a hybrid code review engine that combines static analysis, semantic rules, and Laravel best practices into one streamlined tool.
It’s open-source under GPL, free for everyone, and built for teams that want enterprise-grade code quality without paying thousands for SaaS tools.
Why I built this?
Managing a large Laravel monolith with 20+ developers was chaotic. Standards drifted, MongoDB queries crept into controllers, and security checks were often missed. Manual reviews were too slow, and generic tools didn’t cover Laravel’s architecture or MongoDB quirks. So I decided to create a developer-first, configurable, AI-assisted review system.
Why Codementor-AI Stands Out
Unlike basic linters, Codementor-AI offers:
Static + Semantic Analysis: Detect not just syntax errors but architectural anti-patterns.
Laravel-Specific Rules: Enforce repository/service patterns, avoid Facade abuse, check middleware.
MongoDB Query Checks: Flag unindexed queries, prevent DB logic in controllers.
Custom Rule Engine: Add your own business-specific rules easily.
CI/CD & Git Hook Integration: Block bad commits before they reach production.
Detailed HTML Reports: Full project health overview.
Performance Metrics: See rule execution time for optimization.
Features at a Glance
Here’s what makes Codementor-AI a developer’s dream:
- PSR-12 & PHPCS Enforcement
- PHPStan + Larastan for advanced static checks
- Custom Laravel Rules (Controller should not query DB, request classes must have rules)
- MongoDB Best Practices (No raw queries in controllers)
- HTML Report Generation
- Composer Integration (
composer review) - Performance Logging
- Git Hook Pre-Push Integration
Getting Started: Installation in 2 Minutes
Follow these steps to integrate Codementor-AI into your Laravel project:
1. Clone the Repository
git clone https://github.com/abdulbaquee/codementor-ai.git
Place the codementor-ai folder in your Laravel project root.
2. Install Dependencies
composer require --dev phpstan/phpstan phpstan/extension-installer nunomaduro/larastan squizlabs/php_codesniffer
3. Add Composer Scripts
In your composer.json:
"scripts": {
"phpstan": "php vendor/bin/phpstan analyse",
"phpcs": "php vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=phpcs.xml",
"phpcbf": "php vendor/bin/phpcbf --standard=phpcs.xml",
"review": "composer phpstan && composer phpcs && php codementor-ai/cli.php",
"fix-style": "composer phpcbf"
}
Now you can run:
composer review
4. Configure Paths & Rules
Edit codementor-ai/config.php:
return [
'scan_paths' => [realpath(__DIR__ . '/../app'), realpath(__DIR__ . '/../routes')],
'reporting' => [
'output_path' => __DIR__ . '/reports',
'filename_format' => 'report-' . date('Ymd_His') . '.html',
'exit_on_violation' => true,
],
'rules' => [
CodementorAI\Rules\NoMongoInControllerRule::class,
CodementorAI\Rules\LaravelBestPracticesRule::class,
CodementorAI\Rules\CodeStyleRule::class,
],
];
How It Works
Run:
php codementor-ai/cli.php
You’ll see:
✅ Scanning files...
✅ Applying 3 rules...
❌ Violations found: 23
📄 Report saved to: codementor-ai/reports/report-20250726_205932.html
HTML Report Preview:
- Violations grouped by file and rule.
- Severity level and quick-fix suggestions.
- Performance metrics for each rule.
Creating Custom Rules
Codementor-AI lets you write custom rules in minutes. Example: Block eval() usage:
namespace CodementorAI\Rules;
use CodementorAI\Engine\RuleInterface;
class NoEvalUsageRule implements RuleInterface {
public function getName(): string { return 'NoEvalUsage'; }
public function getDescription(): string { return 'Avoid eval() for security reasons.'; }
public function apply(string $filePath, string $contents): array {
return str_contains($contents, 'eval(')
? [["file" => $filePath, "message" => "eval() found, remove it!"]]
: [];
}
}
Add it to config.php and run the review.
Integrate with Git Hooks & CI/CD
Pre-Push Hook
Create .git/hooks/pre-push:
#!/bin/sh
echo "Running code review..."
composer review || {
echo "❌ Code review failed. Fix issues before pushing."
exit 1
}
Make it executable:
chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-push
Bitbucket Pipeline Example
pipelines:
default:
- step:
name: Code Review
image: php:8.3
script:
- composer install
- composer review
Why Open Source?
I believe code quality should be accessible to every developer, not locked behind a paywall.
Codementor-AI is 100% open source under GPL, so:
- Free for all
- Extensible
- Community-driven
GitHub: github.com/abdulbaquee/codementor-ai
⭐ Star it, fork it, and contribute your rules!
What’s Next?
Here’s the roadmap:
- JSON & CLI Report Output
- Dark Mode HTML Reports
- Rule Marketplace (Plugin System)
- Web Dashboard for team insights
- AI Suggestions for fixing violations
Conclusion: Your Code Deserves Better
If you want:
- Consistent coding standards
- Fewer bugs & security issues
- Happier developers and faster CI/CD
…then Codementor-AI is your new best friend.
Start using it today:
👉 Download on GitHub
👉 Read Docs: webgrapple.com/docs
Optional: Support the project with a $10 donation via PayPal — but it’s not required. Just sharing this tool with your team or on social media helps a ton!
Quick Links
- 🌐 Docs: https://webgrapple.com/docs/intro
- 💻 GitHub: https://github.com/abdulbaquee/codementor-ai
- 📢 Share on Twitter:
#Laravel #PHP #OpenSource
🔥 Ready to take your Laravel code quality to the next level? Try Codementor-AI today!