Before: Save g:ale_php_phpcs_executable Save g:ale_php_phpcs_use_global let g:ale_php_phpcs_executable = 'phpcs_test' let g:ale_php_phpcs_use_global = 0 silent! cd /testplugin/test let g:dir = getcwd() runtime ale_linters/php/phpcs.vim After: Restore silent execute 'cd ' . fnameescape(g:dir) unlet! g:dir call ale#linter#Reset() Execute(project with phpcs should use local by default): call ale#test#SetFilename('phpcs-test-files/project-with-phpcs/foo/test.php') AssertEqual \ g:dir . '/phpcs-test-files/project-with-phpcs/vendor/bin/phpcs', \ ale_linters#php#phpcs#GetExecutable(bufnr('')) Execute(use-global should override local detection): let g:ale_php_phpcs_use_global = 1 call ale#test#SetFilename('phpcs-test-files/project-with-phpcs/foo/test.php') AssertEqual \ 'phpcs_test', \ ale_linters#php#phpcs#GetExecutable(bufnr('')) Execute(project without phpcs should use global): call ale#test#SetFilename('phpcs-test-files/project-without-phpcs/foo/test.php') AssertEqual \ 'phpcs_test', \ ale_linters#php#phpcs#GetExecutable(bufnr(''))