Free PHP Utility Evaluation Checklist

Use this before you install, copy, or publish a free PHP utility.

1. Purpose
- Does the tool solve one clear problem?
- Can you describe the job in one sentence?

2. Maintenance
- Is there recent activity or a clear maintainer?
- Does it support current PHP versions?
- Are bugs, issues, or release notes visible?

3. License
- Is the license explicit and readable?
- Do you know whether commercial use is allowed?
- Are redistribution and modification terms clear?

4. Input handling
- Does the tool validate input before using it?
- Does it reject obviously bad shapes and types?
- Does it avoid trusting raw request data?

5. Output handling
- Does it escape output for the correct context?
- Does it separate HTML output from storage values?
- Does it avoid double-encoding?

6. Logging
- Are logs useful without exposing secrets?
- Does the tool keep noisy or sensitive fields out of logs?
- Can you turn logging down if needed?

7. Dependencies
- Does it require a small, understandable set of libraries?
- Can you install it without dragging in a pile of unrelated code?

8. Staging test
- Can you test it with real input in staging first?
- Can you remove it cleanly if it misbehaves?
- Do you have a rollback plan?

9. Decision
- If any answer is unclear, stop and investigate.
- If the tool adds hidden complexity, prefer a smaller script or a different utility.