AI Toolchain for Contribution

When to Use

When setting up your AI development environment for Drupal contribution and you want to configure tools for responsible, well-guarded AI-assisted development.

Decision: Tool Setup Priority

Priority	Tool/Practice	Purpose
Essential	phpcs + DrupalPractice standard	Catches AI coding standard violations automatically
Essential	phpstan	Catches type errors, undefined methods, wrong return types
Essential	Pre-commit hooks	Blocks commits that fail standards before they reach the MR
Recommended	drupal-check	Catches deprecated API usage that AI commonly introduces
Recommended	Dev-guides / API docs	Authoritative reference to counteract training data bias
Recommended	Project-specific config (CLAUDE.md, skills)	Loads conventions and standards into AI context
Optional	IDE integration (phpcs in editor)	Catches violations as you write, not just at commit

Pattern: Pre-Commit Hook Setup

# Install phpcs with Drupal standards
composer require --dev drupal/coder dealerdirect/phpcodesniffer-composer-installer

# Create pre-commit hook
cat > .git/hooks/pre-commit << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
FILES=$(git diff --cached --name-only --diff-filter=ACM | grep -E '\.(php|module|install|theme)$')
if [ -n "$FILES" ]; then
    vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=Drupal,DrupalPractice $FILES
    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
        echo "Fix coding standards before committing."
        exit 1
    fi
fi
EOF
chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit

This catches AI-generated code that violates standards before it ever reaches a merge request.

Pattern: Context Management for AI Tools

At session start: - Load the relevant dev-guide for the API you're working with (forms, entities, services, etc.) - Point AI to the project's coding conventions - Specify the Drupal version explicitly ("We're targeting Drupal 11.x")

During the session: - Keep sessions focused — one issue per session when practical - When AI suggests an approach, verify against docs before proceeding - If you've corrected the AI more than twice on the same issue, start fresh

Between sessions: - Clear context — don't carry confusion from one issue to the next - Review what was produced with fresh eyes before submitting

Pattern: Mapping Disclosure Levels to Your Workflow

Your Workflow	Likely Disclosure Level
AI autocompletes variable names and snippets while you write	AI Assisted Code
You discuss the approach with AI, it suggests code, you write and adapt	AI Assisted Code
You ask AI to write a function, review every line, test thoroughly	AI Generated Code
You ask AI to write the whole patch, glance at it, submit	Vibe Coded — reconsider

Common Mistakes

Not configuring standards enforcement — Relying on CI to catch standards violations wastes review cycles. Catch them locally.
Loading too much context — AI doesn't read everything. Load the specific guide or standard relevant to the current task, not everything.
Using AI's built-in "knowledge" instead of docs — AI's training data is stale. For API specifics, always reference current documentation.
Forgetting to specify the Drupal version — Without explicit version, AI will blend code from multiple Drupal versions