Adopt PHP 8.3 and enforceable PHP standards (umbrella)

[somethingwithproof]

Goal

Establish one enforceable PHP standard for MacTrack 1.3 while modernizing legacy code incrementally and without repository-wide formatting churn.

Required baseline

• Require PHP >=8.3 in Composer and test the supported PHP range in CI.
• Use PER Coding Style 3.x for new namespaced code under src/ and for files deliberately migrated to the modern architecture.
• Keep Cacti coding style for small edits to unmigrated legacy files; perform formatting-only migrations separately from behavior changes.
• Use PSR-4 autoloading with Cacti\Mactrack\ mapped to src/.
• Add declare(strict_types=1) to every new PHP file and to legacy files as they are migrated.
• Prefer native parameter, property, and return types. Reserve PHPDoc for generics, array shapes, contracts, and behavior the type system cannot express.
• Use one committed automatic formatting configuration and enforce it in CI.
• Reach PHPStan level 8 with zero new findings. The baseline may shrink but must not grow.
• Standardize on PHPStan after Psalm parity is confirmed; do not maintain two overlapping static-analysis policies indefinitely.
• Require 100% line coverage for new application code and regression tests for every defect fixed.
• Require Docker integration tests for scanners, SNMP behavior, database migrations, scheduled/poller execution, and dependency failure paths.
• Manage dependencies only through Composer; commit the lock file and run composer validate --strict plus a clean composer install --no-dev test.
• Use prepared SQL, context-appropriate output escaping, validated CLI input, structured exceptions, and fail-closed dependency handling.
• Introduce a PSR-3-compatible MacTrack logging adapter backed by Cacti cacti_log() rather than coupling new services directly to globals.

Migration policy

Do not reformat the whole legacy plugin in one functional change. Apply the modern standard to src/, tests, and explicitly migrated files. This preserves useful blame history and avoids unnecessary conflicts with active maintenance branches.

Suggested order

1. Align Composer and CI on PHP 8.3.
2. Commit formatter/coding-standard configuration scoped to new and migrated code.
3. Complete PHPStan level 6 (PHPStan level 6 compliance #311), then level 8 (PHPStan level 8 compliance #312), without baseline growth.
4. Continue the service and scanner migration in PHP 8+ modernization (grouped) #304.
5. Add the logging adapter and migrate new services to it.
6. Retire redundant Psalm enforcement once PHPStan provides equivalent coverage.

Related work

• PHP 8+ modernization (grouped) #304 — PHP 8+ architecture and service modernization
• PHPStan level 6 compliance #311 — PHPStan level 6
• PHPStan level 8 compliance #312 — PHPStan level 8
• fix: make Composer runtime dependencies release-safe and prove scanner execution #343 / Fix runtime dependency handling and verify production scanner path #344 — Composer runtime contract and production scanner-path testing

Acceptance criteria

• Composer, CI, formatting, static analysis, and test policies agree on the same PHP 8.3+ contract.
• New namespaced application code is PSR-4, strict-typed, PER-CS compliant, and fully covered.
• Production scanner and migration paths are exercised with the tools and services used in production.
• No repository-wide formatting churn is mixed with behavioral changes.
• All linked implementation issues are complete or explicitly deferred with rationale.

References

• https://www.php-fig.org/per/coding-style/
• https://www.php-fig.org/psr/psr-4/
• https://www.php.net/manual/en/control-structures.declare.php
• https://phpstan.org/user-guide/rule-levels

[somethingwithproof]

Merge/close recommendations:\n- Do not merge: #304, #311, #312 and security issues (#281–#296) stay separate (distinct deliverables).\n- Grouped issues #305–#310 remain separate audits; no merge into umbrella.\n- #313 (AJAX API + mactrack_disable bugs): keep separate; bug fixes may be done independently.