Treat leading $variable as a valid @see reference

src/DocBlock/Tags/Reference/Variable.php

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * This file is part of phpDocumentor.
+ *
+ *  For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ *  file that was distributed with this source code.
+ *
+ * @link http://phpdoc.org
+ */
+
+namespace phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference;
+
+use Webmozart\Assert\Assert;
+
+/**
+ * Variable reference used by {@see \phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\See} to refer to a variable that
+ * is not addressable through an FQSEN, typically a global variable referenced with {@}see $varname.
+ */
+final class Variable implements Reference
+{
+    private string $name;
+
+    public function __construct(string $name)
+    {
+        Assert::stringNotEmpty($name);
+        Assert::startsWith($name, '$');
+
+        $this->name = $name;
+    }
+
+    public function __toString(): string
+    {
+        return $this->name;
+    }
+}

src/DocBlock/Tags/See.php

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Fqsen as FqsenRef;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Reference;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Url;
+use phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Variable;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\Fqsen;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\FqsenResolver;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\Types\Context as TypeContext;
@@ -62,6 +63,11 @@ public static function create(
             return new static(new Url($parts[0]), $description);
         }
 
+        // Variables are not addressable through an FQSEN but are a valid target for {@}see, e.g. a global `$varname`.
+        if (preg_match('/^\$[a-zA-Z_\x80-\xff][a-zA-Z0-9_\x80-\xff]*$/', $parts[0])) {
+            return new static(new Variable($parts[0]), $description);
+        }
+
         return new static(new FqsenRef(self::resolveFqsen($parts[0], $typeResolver, $context)), $description);
     }
 

tests/unit/DocBlock/Tags/SeeTest.php

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Fqsen as FqsenRef;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Fqsen as TagsFqsen;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Url as UrlRef;
+use phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Variable as VariableRef;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\Fqsen;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\FqsenResolver;
 use phpDocumentor\Reflection\Types\Context;
@@ -253,6 +254,37 @@ public function testFactoryMethodWithUrl(): void
         $this->assertSame($description, $fixture->getDescription());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @uses \phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\See::<public>
+     * @uses \phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\DescriptionFactory
+     * @uses \phpDocumentor\Reflection\FqsenResolver
+     * @uses \phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Description
+     * @uses \phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\Reference\Variable
+     * @uses \phpDocumentor\Reflection\Types\Context
+     *
+     * @covers ::create
+     */
+    public function testFactoryMethodWithVariable(): void
+    {
+        $descriptionFactory = m::mock(DescriptionFactory::class);
+        $resolver           = m::mock(FqsenResolver::class);
+        $context            = new Context('');
+
+        $description = new Description('My Description');
+
+        $descriptionFactory
+            ->shouldReceive('create')->with('My Description', $context)->andReturn($description);
+
+        $resolver->shouldNotReceive('resolve');
+
+        $fixture = See::create('$varname My Description', $resolver, $descriptionFactory, $context);
+
+        $this->assertSame('$varname My Description', (string) $fixture);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(VariableRef::class, $fixture->getReference());
+        $this->assertSame('$varname', (string) $fixture->getReference());
+        $this->assertSame($description, $fixture->getDescription());
+    }
+
     /**
      * @uses \phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\Tags\See::<public>
      * @uses \phpDocumentor\Reflection\DocBlock\DescriptionFactory