rector/build/target-repository/docs/auto_import_names.md

Auto Import Names

Rector works with all class names as fully qualified by default, so it know the exact types. In most coding standard, that's not desired behavior, because short version with use statement is preferred:

-$object = new \App\Some\Namespace\SomeClass();
+use App\Some\Namespace\SomeClass;
+$object = new SomeClass();

To import FQN like these, configure rector.php with:

$parameters->set(Option::AUTO_IMPORT_NAMES, true);

If you enable this feature, the class names in docblocks are imported as well:

+use App\Some\Namespace\SomeClass;
-/** @var \App\Some\Namespace\SomeClass $someClass */
+/** @var SomeClass $someClass */
 $someClass = ...;

Do you want to skip them?

$parameters->set(Option::IMPORT_DOC_BLOCKS, false);

Single short classes are imported too:

+use DateTime;
-$someClass = \DateTime();
+$someClass = DateTime();

Do you want to keep those?

$parameters->set(Option::IMPORT_SHORT_CLASSES, false);

How to Remove Unused Imports?

To remove imports, use ECS with NoUnusedImportsFixer rule:

// ecs.php
use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Loader\Configurator\ContainerConfigurator;
use PhpCsFixer\Fixer\Import\NoUnusedImportsFixer;

return static function (ContainerConfigurator $containerConfigurator): void {
    $services = $containerConfigurator->services();
    $services->set(NoUnusedImportsFixer::class);
};

Run it:

vendor/bin/ecs check src --fix