Build a repeatable PHP-to-Java migration engine with Kiro

Direct answer

AWS describes a repeatable PHP-to-Java migration method built around discovery and behavior checks. A scanner inventories the PHP application, an eight-phase workflow guides translation, and a parity harness compares the Java output with the original application. A successful compile alone does not establish that business behavior was preserved.

Why discovery comes first

Mature PHP applications can hide rules in framework traits, mappings, and other less obvious files. The AWS example treats the existing application as the behavior specification. Before translation, a team should inventory routes, data models, integrations, and representative inputs and outputs so that important behavior is not lost.

How the migration is checked

The article packages the method as reusable skill files. In Kiro, a developer reviews the discovery manifest and rulebook at explicit checkpoints while the migration proceeds. AWS also describes using those files with AWS Transform for a broader run. In either path, the parity harness is the referee: discrepancies should lead back to the shared translation rule or test fixture, rather than being waved away because the new code builds.

For a web application modernization project, the practical starting point is a narrow pilot with a measurable parity suite. Record which behaviors match, which differ intentionally, and which need investigation before planning a cutover. That approach reduces uncertainty; it cannot guarantee zero regressions or downtime.

Source and attribution

This briefing interprets AWS's October 29, 2026 PHP-to-Java migration walkthrough. The method and tooling belong to the AWS example, not a claimed MTREXA client project.