I think PHPStorm has been very helpful as an IDE for over a decade.
One of the things I do like about PHP is that while most legacy codebases out there are lousy (even when good developers are involved), and often lousy for totally legitimate reasons, PHP with its "don't even try to do clever" approach makes many things easier.
Of course, I only dealt with so many legacy applications. My worst experiences have always been with python legacy code because there were strata of conflicting "better code" approaches piled on top of each other.
Once you start abstracting into patterns, and you don't have the experience needed to get a sense of good architecture, it's easy to make a real tangled mess.
One of the things I do like about PHP is that while most legacy codebases out there are lousy (even when good developers are involved), and often lousy for totally legitimate reasons, PHP with its "don't even try to do clever" approach makes many things easier.
Of course, I only dealt with so many legacy applications. My worst experiences have always been with python legacy code because there were strata of conflicting "better code" approaches piled on top of each other.
Once you start abstracting into patterns, and you don't have the experience needed to get a sense of good architecture, it's easy to make a real tangled mess.