symfony/console

How symfony/console works

Symfony Console is a PHP component for building command-line applications. A user supplies command-line input; the application selects and runs a command, which consumes parsed arguments and options and writes formatted output. The component also provides interactive questions and styles, shell completion, command descriptions, service-container integration, event and signal handling, and Messenger-based command execution. Edges are limited to relationships shown in excerpts, SOURCE INDEX references, or the README; unsampled subsystem wiring is not inferred.

Main entry points: Command.php Command · Application.php Application · InputDefinition.php Input definition · Output.php Output

Components 22

Command execution

Application Application.php
Command Command/Command.php
Argument resolver ArgumentResolver/ArgumentResolver.php

Input and output

CLI input Input/ArgvInput.php
Input state Input/Input.php
Input definition Input/InputDefinition.php
Argument spec Input/InputArgument.php
Option spec Input/InputOption.php
Output Output/Output.php
Output formatter Formatter/OutputFormatter.php

Interactive features

Questions Question/Question.php
Console styles Style/SymfonyStyle.php
Completion input Completion/CompletionInput.php
Completion suggestions Completion/CompletionSuggestions.php
Completion commands Command/CompleteCommand.php

Framework integration

Command loader CommandLoader/ContainerCommandLoader.php
Command registration DependencyInjection/AddConsoleCommandPass.php
Console events Event/ConsoleCommandEvent.php
Messenger handler Messenger/RunCommandMessageHandler.php

Inspection and help

Text descriptor Descriptor/TextDescriptor.php
Help command Command/HelpCommand.php

Other components

CLI user

Connections 27

CLI user → CLI input: provides tokens
Application → CLI input: parses input Application.php
Application → Command: runs command Application.php
Application → Command loader: loads commands Application.php
Application → Completion commands: routes completion Application.php
Application → Console events: dispatches events Application.php
Command → Input definition: configures inputs Command/Command.php
Command → Input state: receives input Command/Command.php
Command → Output: writes output Command/Command.php
Input state → Input definition: binds against Input/Input.php
Input definition → Argument spec: stores arguments Input/InputDefinition.php
Input definition → Option spec: stores options Input/InputDefinition.php
Output → Output formatter: formats messages Output/Output.php
Output formatter → Output: formats writes Output/Output.php
Argument resolver → Command: resolves parameters ArgumentResolver/ArgumentResolver.php
Argument resolver → Input state: reads values ArgumentResolver/ArgumentResolver.php
Completion commands → Completion input: parses completion
Completion input → Input definition: reads specifications Completion/CompletionInput.php
Completion input → Option spec: checks options Completion/CompletionInput.php
Command → Completion suggestions: offers suggestions Command/Command.php
Command registration → Command loader: registers commands DependencyInjection/AddConsoleCommandPass.php
Messenger handler → Application: runs application Messenger/RunCommandMessageHandler.php
Messenger handler → Command: selects command Messenger/RunCommandMessageHandler.php
Text descriptor → Command: describes commands Descriptor/TextDescriptor.php
Text descriptor → Output: writes description Descriptor/TextDescriptor.php
Application → Help command: selects help Application.php
Console styles → Questions: supports prompts Style/SymfonyStyle.php

Drawn by GitDiagram on November 15, 2026 from the repository's file tree, README and source files. Read as Markdown ·