Training course · Vibe Coding · PHP & Laravel/Symfony

Vibe Coding for PHP Developers

Build software in natural language: from prompt to app, rapid iteration, quality and security checks, and turning prototypes into production.

Duration
2 days (14 hrs)
Format
Online or on-site
Language
German or English
Participants
open dates or exclusive for your team
Certificate
Certificate of attendance

Overview

“Vibe Coding for PHP Developers” is designed for roles such as PHP developers working with Laravel or Symfony, Developers of e-commerce systems such as Shopware or Magento and Agency teams juggling many client projects in parallel and shows step by step how to use Vibe Coding productively, safely and transparently in PHP & Laravel/Symfony – from the fundamentals to advanced workflows.

Vibe coding is a new style of software development: you describe in natural language what an application should do, and AI tools generate the code for it. Instead of writing every line yourself, you steer through descriptions, examples and feedback, test the result and refine it in short loops. This dramatically speeds up prototypes, internal tools and experiments. This vendor-neutral course shows you how to use vibe coding productively with tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot or browser-based app builders.

Knowing the limits matters just as much as speed. Uncontrolled generated code can be unmaintainable, insecure or simply wrong. You will therefore learn to state requirements precisely, safeguard results with tests and reviews, spot typical security flaws and steer the architecture deliberately. Finally, you will map out a clear path from quick prototype to production-ready application, covering version control, deployment, documentation and a clean handover to the team that will run and maintain the solution over the long term.

PHP powers a large share of the web – from Laravel and Symfony applications to Shopware and Magento stores and bespoke platforms that have evolved over many years. As a result, modern framework projects frequently sit alongside legacy code without types, tests or Composer structure. AI coding assistants and agents help on both fronts: they write PHPUnit and Pest tests, bring code up to modern language standards with Rector, work through PHPStan findings level by level, generate Eloquent or Doctrine models with migrations and explain tangled legacy logic. The prerequisite is good context on framework conventions, coding standards and the test environment. This course teaches you to use agents so that modernisation becomes predictable and safe.

The course is delivered live – either online in a virtual classroom or on-site in our training rooms in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern. We can also run it exclusively for your team.

Who is this course for?

  • PHP developers working with Laravel or Symfony
  • Developers of e-commerce systems such as Shopware or Magento
  • Agency teams juggling many client projects in parallel
  • Teams modernising legacy PHP applications

Typical challenges we address

  • Legacy code without type declarations, namespaces or automated tests
  • Laborious upgrades of PHP versions and major framework releases
  • Security risks from SQL injection, XSS and unsafe file uploads in old code
  • Tight deadlines on agency projects combined with high quality expectations

What you will be able to do

  • You build working applications in natural language with a suitable AI tool.
  • You phrase requirements and constraints so that generated results meet your expectations.
  • You iterate purposefully, fix errors efficiently and stay in control of the project state.
  • You safeguard generated code with tests, reviews and security checks.
  • Use AI agents for tests, static analysis and upgrades in Laravel, Symfony and legacy projects.
  • Modernise legacy code incrementally and safely with AI support.
  • Recognise typical security flaws in generated and existing PHP code and fix them in a targeted way.

Course outline

Day 1

Module 1 Vibe coding fundamentals
  • What vibe coding is and how it differs from traditional and agentic development
  • The tool landscape: AI editors, coding agents and browser-based app builders
  • Good use cases: prototypes, internal tools, experiments, learning projects
  • Roles: you as product owner, the AI as the one doing the typing
Module 2 From prompt to app
  • Describing requirements as a short spec covering users, features and boundaries
  • Choosing the tech stack and project structure deliberately rather than leaving it to the AI
  • Generating user interfaces from descriptions, sketches and reference examples
  • Adding data, APIs and persistence step by step
Module 3 Iterating and fixing problems
  • Working in small, verifiable steps and committing regularly
  • Feeding error messages, logs and screenshots back to the AI
  • Recognising stuck sessions, rolling back and restarting with fresh context
  • Creating project rules and context files to avoid repeating yourself
Module 4 Securing quality and safety
  • Having the AI generate tests and critically assessing what they actually prove
  • Reviewing generated changes for readability, duplication and needless complexity
  • Spotting typical security flaws: secrets in code, missing validation, exposed endpoints
  • Assessing dependencies, licences and data protection in generated solutions

Day 2

Module 5 From prototype to production
  • Setting criteria for evolving a prototype versus rebuilding it
  • Refactoring, cleaning up architecture and documenting with AI support
  • Setting up version control, CI and deployment for generated applications
  • Planning operations, monitoring and handover to a team or IT
Module 6 Practice lab: PHP & Laravel/Symfony
  • Generating PHPUnit and Pest tests
  • Raising PHPStan levels step by step
  • Upgrades with Rector
  • Building Laravel and Symfony features
  • Understanding and untangling legacy code
  • Finding security vulnerabilities
Module 7 Data protection, quality & transfer to daily work
  • PHP applications frequently process customer data from shops and portals, so database dumps and logs containing personal data must never go into prompts unfiltered. Check new Composer packages for licence and vulnerabilities, keep credentials from .env files out of context and, as an agency, agree contractually whether client code may be processed by AI services.
  • Ground rules for safe AI use in your team
  • Checking results: facts, sources, tests and the four-eyes principle
  • Personal action plan for the next 30 days
  • Open questions, outlook and resources for further learning

Practical scenarios from your field

Generating PHPUnit and Pest tests

The agent writes unit and feature tests for controllers, services and models, uses factories and database transactions, and runs the tests iteratively until they pass consistently.

Raising PHPStan levels step by step

The AI works through static analysis findings systematically, adds type declarations, generics annotations and return types, and raises the analysis level in controlled steps without changing behaviour.

Upgrades with Rector

Rector rules are configured and run, remaining incompatibilities in PHP or framework upgrades are fixed by hand and deprecations surfaced in logs and tests are cleared systematically.

Building Laravel and Symfony features

From a functional description, the assistant creates migrations, Eloquent or Doctrine entities, form requests or validators, controllers, policies and tests – all in line with framework conventions.

Understanding and untangling legacy code

The assistant explains procedural legacy logic, extracts functions into namespaced classes and introduces Composer autoloading, laying the groundwork for further modernisation. Characterisation tests pin down the existing behaviour first.

Finding security vulnerabilities

The AI checks code for unsafe SQL queries, missing output escaping, CSRF gaps and insecure uploads, replacing problem areas with prepared statements and built-in framework mechanisms.

Possible hands-on projects

Laravel admin panel

A small management back end with authentication, roles, CRUD screens and feature tests, built by an AI agent from a short specification.

Symfony console importer

A Symfony console command that validates CSV or XML data, imports it into Doctrine entities and logs errors in a clear, readable way.

Upgrade readiness check

A script that runs PHPStan, a Rector dry run and Composer audit against a PHP project and produces a plain-language report on upgrade effort.

Prerequisites

Basic programming knowledge and some Git experience are helpful; you should be able to read simple code and make sense of error messages. Solid PHP skills and experience with Laravel or Symfony, Composer and Git.

Technical requirements

Your own laptop with an up-to-date browser, Git and an AI coding tool of your choice, such as an AI editor or coding agent with an active account.

Data protection & compliance

PHP applications frequently process customer data from shops and portals, so database dumps and logs containing personal data must never go into prompts unfiltered. Check new Composer packages for licence and vulnerabilities, keep credentials from .env files out of context and, as an agency, agree contractually whether client code may be processed by AI services.

Suggested dates

All dates are suggestions – your preferred date is always possible.

  • Thu, 26 November 2026 – Fri, 27 November 2026 Online Request
  • Tue, 8 December 2026 – Wed, 9 December 2026 Berlin Request
  • Mon, 14 December 2026 – Tue, 15 December 2026 Online Request
  • Mon, 11 January 2027 – Tue, 12 January 2027 Online Request
  • Wed, 27 January 2027 – Thu, 28 January 2027 Hanover Request
  • Thu, 4 February 2027 – Fri, 5 February 2027 Online Request

Frequently asked questions

Is vibe coding only suitable for quick prototypes?

Vibe coding shines with prototypes, internal tools and experiments. With the right practices, namely clear specifications, tests, reviews and sound version control, results can also be turned into production-ready applications. The course teaches you to manage that transition deliberately and to recognise early on when rebuilding is the wiser option.

Which tools are used in the course?

The course is vendor-neutral. We work with the main tool categories: AI editors such as Cursor or Windsurf, coding agents such as Claude Code or Codex, and browser-based app builders. You are welcome to use your preferred tool, as the principles of specification, iteration, quality and security apply to all of them.

How should I deal with security risks in generated code?

Generated code often contains typical weaknesses such as hard-coded credentials, missing input validation or overly open interfaces. You learn to check specifically for these patterns, build security requirements into the specification from the start, use automated scanning and require a deliberate human sign-off before every deployment.

Is AI-assisted coding worthwhile for old PHP code without a framework?

That is exactly where it shines. AI assistants explain convoluted procedural logic, write characterisation tests that pin down existing behaviour and then introduce namespaces, autoloading and types step by step. This gives you a safe foundation for modernising legacy applications instead of attempting a risky full rewrite.

How should agencies handle client code and AI?

Agencies should agree with their clients contractually whether, and with which services, source code may be processed. On the course we discuss options such as business licences with no training on your data, exclusion rules for sensitive files and documented review processes that give your clients full transparency.

How much does “Vibe Coding for PHP Developers” cost?

The course costs a flat €949 plus VAT per participant – whether online or on-site. This includes 2 training day(s) with a live trainer, course materials, a lab environment and a certificate of attendance.

Can I suggest my own date?

Yes. Our suggested dates are just a guide. In the request form you can always describe your preferred date or period in free text – we check availability and confirm within one working day.

Is the course online or on-site?

Both are possible: live online in a virtual classroom or on-site in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart or Kaiserslautern. We can also run the course exclusively for your team.

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