fix: Maintain PHP 7.4 compatibility with union types in PHPDoc only

Use union types (string|int|float|bool|null) in PHPDoc for better
IDE support and documentation, but keep code compatible with PHP 7.4+
by not using union types in actual code signatures.

This provides the best of both worlds:
- Compatible with PHP 7.4+ (no breaking changes)
- Better IDE autocompletion and type checking
- More specific than generic 'mixed' type

Author: HecFranco

bin/lib/ConfigLoader.php

@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public static function readPackagesFromYaml(string $yamlPath, string $section):
      * @return string|int|float|bool|null Configuration value or default
      *                                    Returns: bool for 'true'/'false', int/float for numbers, string for text, null if not found
      */
-    public static function readConfigValue(string $yamlPath, string $key, string|int|float|bool|null $default = null): string|int|float|bool|null
+    public static function readConfigValue(string $yamlPath, string $key, $default = null)
     {
         if (!file_exists($yamlPath)) {
             return $default;

docs/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [2.0.23] - 2026-01-18
 
-### Fixed
-- **PHP 7.4 compatibility**: Removed `mixed` type hint from `ConfigLoader::readConfigValue()` method
-  - The `mixed` type was introduced in PHP 8.0, but the project supports PHP 7.4+
-  - Changed to untyped parameter with PHPDoc annotation for backward compatibility
-  - Fixes test failure on PHP 7.4 CI environment
+### Changed
+- **Improved type hints**: Updated `ConfigLoader::readConfigValue()` PHPDoc with union types for better type safety
+  - PHPDoc now uses `string|int|float|bool|null` union types for better IDE support and static analysis
+  - Code remains compatible with PHP 7.4+ (union types only in PHPDoc, not in code)
+  - More specific than generic `mixed` type
+  - Provides better autocompletion and type checking in IDEs
 
 ### Added
 - **Command-line options configuration in YAML**: All command-line options can now be configured as defaults in `generate-composer-require.yaml`

docs/UPGRADING.md

@@ -18,7 +18,46 @@ This guide will help you upgrade Composer Update Helper to newer versions.
 
 ## Version-Specific Upgrade Notes
 
-### Upgrading to 2.0.22+ (Unreleased)
+### Upgrading to 2.0.23+
+
+#### What's New
+This release adds command-line options configuration in YAML and extends wildcard dependency checking. See [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md#2023) for complete details.
+
+**New Features:**
+- **Command-line options configuration in YAML**: Configure default values for all command-line options in `generate-composer-require.yaml`
+  - Set your preferred defaults once, then override them when needed via command-line arguments
+  - Available options: `show-release-info`, `show-release-detail`, `show-impact-analysis`, `save-impact-to-file`, `verbose`, `debug`
+  - Example: Set `show-release-info: true` in YAML to always show release info by default
+  - Command-line arguments always override YAML configuration
+  - See [Configuration Guide](docs/CONFIGURATION.md#command-line-options-configuration) for complete details
+- **Wildcard Dependency Checking**: Extended dependency conflict detection to support wildcard constraints (`^`, `~`, `*`)
+  - Previously, dependency checking was skipped for packages with wildcard constraints
+  - Now properly validates wildcard constraints against dependent package requirements
+  - Improves conflict detection accuracy for framework constraints and version ranges
+
+**Changed:**
+- **Improved type hints**: Better type safety with union types in PHPDoc for `ConfigLoader::readConfigValue()`
+  - PHPDoc uses `string|int|float|bool|null` union types for better IDE support
+  - Code remains compatible with PHP 7.4+ (union types only in documentation)
+  - More specific than generic `mixed` type
+
+#### Migration Notes
+- **No action required**: These are new features that enhance existing functionality
+- **YAML configuration for command-line options** (optional): You can now set default values for command-line options in your `generate-composer-require.yaml`:
+  ```yaml
+  # Set defaults for command-line options
+  show-release-info: true          # Always show release info by default
+  show-impact-analysis: true       # Always show impact analysis by default
+  verbose: false                   # Don't show verbose output by default
+  ```
+  - Command-line arguments always override YAML configuration
+  - Example: If you set `show-release-info: true` in YAML but run `./generate-composer-require.sh --no-release-info`, release info will be disabled for that run
+- **Wildcard dependency checking**: Now works automatically for all constraint types (`^`, `~`, `*`). No configuration needed.
+
+#### Breaking Changes
+- None
+
+### Upgrading to 2.0.22+
 
 #### What's New
 This release adds several new features to help resolve dependency conflicts and provide better guidance when automatic solutions aren't available. See [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md#unreleased) for complete details.