Composer Upgrade
Upgrade Workflow
Follow this sequence when upgrading a PHP project:
- Check for security issues →
composer audit— fixes here are highest priority - Identify what's outdated →
composer outdated --format=json - Prioritize — packages with CVEs AND outdated go first; see references/audit.md
- Diagnose blockers →
composer why-not vendor/package version— note any sub-packages blocking the update - Trace dependencies →
composer why vendor/package - Update packages →
composer update vendor/package— if blocked, include identified blockers:composer update vendor/package blocker/one blocker/two - Test
- Harden constraints →
composer bump(applications only) - Re-audit →
composer auditto confirm all advisories are resolved
See references/commands.md for full flag reference, including global flags for non-interactive use (--no-interaction --no-progress --no-ansi). See references/upgrade-workflow.md for detailed strategies, including merge conflict resolution. See references/audit.md for security audit details, severity tiers, and how to build a prioritized package list.
Resolving composer.lock Merge Conflicts
When composer.lock has a merge conflict, use scripts/diff_lock.py to compare both sides and generate the commands needed to reconcile them.
During an active merge conflict:
# Compare HEAD vs MERGE_HEAD automatically and output composer commands
python3 scripts/diff_lock.py --conflict
# Human-readable summary of what changed
python3 scripts/diff_lock.py --conflict --format=summaryCompare any two branches or files:
python3 scripts/diff_lock.py main:composer.lock feature-branch:composer.lock
python3 scripts/diff_lock.py HEAD:composer.lock MERGE_HEAD:composer.lock
python3 scripts/diff_lock.py old.lock new.lockThe script outputs composer require / composer remove commands that move packages from the source state to the target state. Run the generated commands, then commit the result.
See references/upgrade-workflow.md — "Workflow: Merge Conflict in composer.lock" — for the full step-by-step process.
Core Commands
See references/commands.md for full flag reference and version constraint quick reference.
composer outdated
composer outdated --format=json # preferred when parsing output (fewer tokens)
composer outdated --direct --format=json # only direct depsRed = major bump (breaking changes likely). Yellow = minor/patch (safe). ! = not semver-safe.
composer why-not
composer why-not vendor/package 2.0 # what prevents this upgrade
composer why-not php 8.2 # what blocks a PHP version bumpOutput shows the dependency chain: which packages require conflicting versions.
composer why
composer why vendor/package # which installed packages depend on this onecomposer update
composer update vendor/package --no-interaction --no-progress --no-ansi
composer update vendor/package --dry-run --no-interaction --no-ansi # preview first
# If blocked, first identify which sub-dependencies are preventing the update:
composer why-not vendor/package 2.0
# Then include only those specific blockers in the update command:
composer update vendor/package blocker/one blocker/two --no-interaction --no-progress --no-ansiCommon Patterns
"Why can't I update X?"
composer why-not vendor/package 3.0Read the output to find which package constrains it, then check if that constraining package itself can be updated.
"What's blocking my PHP version upgrade?"
composer why-not php 8.2Lists every package that lacks a php: ^8.2 constraint, sorted by most blocking.
"Safe incremental upgrade"
Prefer updating direct dependencies one at a time with --dry-run first:
composer update vendor/package --dry-run --no-interaction --no-ansi
composer update vendor/package --no-interaction --no-progress --no-ansiIf blocked, use composer why-not to identify the specific packages preventing the update, then include only those in the update command:
composer why-not vendor/package 2.0
# → reveals blocker/one and blocker/two are preventing the update
composer update vendor/package blocker/one blocker/two --no-interaction --no-progress --no-ansiBumping a major version constraint
Prefer composer require over hand-editing composer.json — it updates the constraint and resolves the lock in one step:
composer require vendor/package:"^3.0" --dry-run --no-interaction --no-ansi
composer require vendor/package:"^3.0" --no-interaction --no-progress --no-ansiFor risky upgrades (auth, permissions, database layers), use a dual constraint to test before committing:
# Allow both old and new major versions while testing
composer require vendor/package:"^2.5.0|^3.0" --no-interaction --no-progress --no-ansi
# If tests pass, lock in the new version:
composer require vendor/package:"^3.0" --no-interaction --no-progress --no-ansiSee references/upgrade-workflow.md — "Techniques for Major Version Upgrades" — for more detail.
Hardening constraints after upgrading (applications)
composer bump # raise lower bounds in composer.json to installed versions
composer bump --dev-only # only require-dev (safe for libraries too)Before: "symfony/console": "^6.0" → After: "symfony/console": "^6.4.3" (the ^ is preserved, so future minor/patch upgrades still work).
See references/commands.md for auto-bump config and full flag reference.
Applications only: Do not runcomposer bump(without--dev-only) on libraries — it narrows constraints in ways that break downstream consumers.