Abstract Your Code!

mitcho (Michael 芳貴 Erlewine)http://mitcho.com

May 1, 2010WordCamp San Francisco

AbstractYourCode!

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mailto:[email protected]


http://www.flickr.com/photos/tupwanders/79745937/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tupwanders/79745937/

Introduction

Introduction

• Hi, I’m mitcho.

Introduction

• Hi, I’m mitcho.• Linguist, coder, teacher.

Introduction

• Hi, I’m mitcho.• Linguist, coder, teacher.• http://mitcho.com; @mitchoyoshitaka

http://mitcho.com

http://mitcho.com

http://twitter.com/mitchoyoshitaka


Introduction

• Hi, I’m mitcho.• Linguist, coder, teacher.• http://mitcho.com; @mitchoyoshitaka• Linguistics PhD student at MIT

http://mitcho.com

http://mitcho.com



Introduction

• Hi, I’m mitcho.• Linguist, coder, teacher.• http://mitcho.com; @mitchoyoshitaka• Linguistics PhD student at MIT• Gameloft, Mozilla, Automattic

http://mitcho.com

http://mitcho.com



Yet Another Related Posts Plugin (YARPP) YARP

P!

• smart “related posts” listings with lots of customization options


P!

• smart “related posts” listings with lots of customization options• mitcho.com/code/yarpp or search for “YARPP”; @yarpp


P!

http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp


http://twitter.com/yarpp


• smart “related posts” listings with lots of customization options• mitcho.com/code/yarpp or search for “YARPP”; @yarpp• just under 500k downloads


P!





HookPress

HookPress

• opens up the WordPress hook system to remote scripts

HookPress

• opens up the WordPress hook system to remote scripts• extend WordPress with other languages

HookPress

• opens up the WordPress hook system to remote scripts• extend WordPress with other languages• now implemented on WordPress.com!

HookPress

• opens up the WordPress hook system to remote scripts• extend WordPress with other languages• now implemented on WordPress.com!• mitcho.com/code/hookpress; @hookpress





So, you’re a programmer...

You customize WordPress for a project.

what if...

CC-BY-NC-SA flickr.com/photos/slworking/1704538333

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slworking/1704538333


• they move servers and your custom code breaks...




• they move servers and your custom code breaks...• they want to reuse some (not all) of the functionality on another site...




• they move servers and your custom code breaks...• they want to reuse some (not all) of the functionality on another site...• they want modifications to your code, but you’re busy, and the new coder can’t understand your code...




• they move servers and your custom code breaks...• they want to reuse some (not all) of the functionality on another site...• they want modifications to your code, but you’re busy, and the new coder can’t understand your code...disaster!




Abstraction!

In the development of the understanding of complex phenomena, the most powerful tool available to the human intellect is abstraction. Abstraction arises from the recognition of similarities between certain objects, situations, or processes in the real world and the decision to concentrate on these similarities and to ignore, for the time being, their differences.

— C.A.R. Hoare

Abstraction!

Abstraction!=

thinking about the more general problem

result=

result=

code that you and others can reuse

Think abstractly

• Produce “functionalities,” not a monolithic project

Think abstractly

• Produce “functionalities,” not a monolithic project• Write each functionality as its own plugin

Think abstractly

• Produce “functionalities,” not a monolithic project• Write each functionality as its own plugin• Name functions and variables by functionality, not the project

Think abstractly


• Even interrelated code can be modularized

Think abstractly


• Even interrelated code can be modularized• introduce new hooks and filters with do_action(), apply_filters()

Think abstractly

WordPress gives you abstractions


Use them.


Use them.• Database query? $wpdb, not mysql_*


Use them.• Database query? $wpdb, not mysql_*• Caching? Object Cache and Transients API


Use them.• Database query? $wpdb, not mysql_*• Caching? Object Cache and Transients API• Options? set_option() etc. not db


Use them.• Database query? $wpdb, not mysql_*• Caching? Object Cache and Transients API• Options? set_option() etc. not db• Getting posts? get_posts() etc. not SQL


Use them.• Database query? $wpdb, not mysql_*• Caching? Object Cache and Transients API• Options? set_option() etc. not db• Getting posts? get_posts() etc. not SQL• Custom data? Custom taxonomy or fields


Use them.• Database query? $wpdb, not mysql_*• Caching? Object Cache and Transients API• Options? set_option() etc. not db• Getting posts? get_posts() etc. not SQL• Custom data? Custom taxonomy or fields• New entities? Custom post types!


Use them.• Database query? $wpdb, not mysql_*• Caching? Object Cache and Transients API• Options? set_option() etc. not db• Getting posts? get_posts() etc. not SQL• Custom data? Custom taxonomy or fields• New entities? Custom post types!• External request? wp_remote_post() not curl

Don’t reinvent the wheel.

© 2008 Drew and Natalie Dee, toothpastefordinner.com

Be mobile

• Don’t expect to be in a particular place

Be mobile

• Don’t expect to be in a particular place• Use __FILE__, WP_PLUGIN_URL, and friends

Be mobile

• Don’t expect to be in a particular place• Use __FILE__, WP_PLUGIN_URL, and friends• Get info with get_bloginfo()

Be mobile

• Don’t expect to be in a particular place• Use __FILE__, WP_PLUGIN_URL, and friends• Get info with get_bloginfo()• Use $wpdb so you can forget about database settings

Be mobile

Be classy

Be classy

• Object oriented programming is perfect for abstracting “functionality”

Be classy

• Object oriented programming is perfect for abstracting “functionality”• Write your functionality as a class with some defaults. Easy for others to extend.

Be classy

• Object oriented programming is perfect for abstracting “functionality”• Write your functionality as a class with some defaults. Easy for others to extend.• Makes for clean, legible code

Be classy

• Object oriented programming is perfect for abstracting “functionality”• Write your functionality as a class with some defaults. Easy for others to extend.• Makes for clean, legible code• less prefix crud

Be classy

• Object oriented programming is perfect for abstracting “functionality”• Write your functionality as a class with some defaults. Easy for others to extend.• Makes for clean, legible code• less prefix crud• A great example: PuSHPress

Give yourself options


• Don’t hard code the project name, copyright strings, email bodies, etc.


• Don’t hard code the project name, copyright strings, email bodies, etc.• Bare minimum: declare these constants in a separate config file


• Don’t hard code the project name, copyright strings, email bodies, etc.• Bare minimum: declare these constants in a separate config file• Ideally: create an options screen


• Don’t hard code the project name, copyright strings, email bodies, etc.• Bare minimum: declare these constants in a separate config file• Ideally: create an options screen• Not as hard as you think


• Don’t hard code the project name, copyright strings, email bodies, etc.• Bare minimum: declare these constants in a separate config file• Ideally: create an options screen• Not as hard as you think• *_option() functions are your friend!

Learn from the masters

• http://codex.wordpress.org


http://codex.wordpress.org


• http://codex.wordpress.org• There’s more there than you think.




• http://codex.wordpress.org• There’s more there than you think.• Read others’ code.




• http://codex.wordpress.org• There’s more there than you think.• Read others’ code.• Borrow and adapt from other plugins, themes, and the Core




• http://codex.wordpress.org• There’s more there than you think.• Read others’ code.• Borrow and adapt from other plugins, themes, and the Core• “free as in freedom!”




CC-BY-NC xkcd.com/292/

Good practice matters

http://xkcd.com/292/

http://xkcd.com/292/

Abstraction!

Results

• Won’t [Less likely to] break when you move machines or upgrade WordPress

Results

• Won’t [Less likely to] break when you move machines or upgrade WordPress• Easier to maintain

Results

• Won’t [Less likely to] break when you move machines or upgrade WordPress• Easier to maintain• Easier (for you or others) to build on

Results

• Won’t [Less likely to] break when you move machines or upgrade WordPress• Easier to maintain• Easier (for you or others) to build on• Easier to reuse elsewhere

Results

but wait, there’s more...

CC-BY-NC-SA flickr.com/photos/z6p6tist6/500048151/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/z6p6tist6/500048151/



is not a one way street.

Free software




is not a one way street.

WordPress



Gedankenexperiment:

• You just customized WordPress for a client

Gedankenexperiment:

• You just customized WordPress for a client• Others could also benefit from this feature

Gedankenexperiment:

• You just customized WordPress for a client• Others could also benefit from this feature• You and the client have already benefited from free software: WordPress

Gedankenexperiment:

Consider open-sourcing your client-requested functionality.

Do people really do this?

success stories:

success stories:

My own work at MIT

Custom Comment Typessupported by the MIT Edgerton Digital Collections

Licensesupported by the MIT Department of Mathematics

MIT Department of Mathematics:


• Shibboleth authentication


• Shibboleth authentication• now contributing to the pre-existing Shibboleth plugin


• Shibboleth authentication• now contributing to the pre-existing Shibboleth plugin• MIT customizations can be reused in other MIT projects

Brad Williamsco-founder, WebDevStudios.com

success stories:

Brad Williams

• NextGEN Public Uploader

Brad Williams

• NextGEN Public Uploader• Post Google Map

Brad Williams

• NextGEN Public Uploader• Post Google Map• sponsored by injersey.com

Brad Williams

Brad Williams

• no client has said no

Brad Williams

• no client has said no• if the client is on the fence, mention the ongoing support benefits

Brad Williams

• no client has said no• if the client is on the fence, mention the ongoing support benefits• many clients have never thought about open-sourcing functionality, but most WordPress people want to give back

Brad Williams

• no client has said no• if the client is on the fence, mention the ongoing support benefits• many clients have never thought about open-sourcing functionality, but most WordPress people want to give back• plugins have brought in new clients

Brad Williams

John James JacobyJohn James Jacoby BuddyPress Consulting

and Custom Development

success stories:

BuddyPress Member Filterdevelopment supported by LOGOI Ministries

BuddyPress Edit Group Slugdevelopment supported by We Heart This

John James Jacoby

John James Jacoby

• educate the customer about community role and open-source

John James Jacoby

• educate the customer about community role and open-source• sometimes it’s appropriate to just open-source the backend parts without UI

John James Jacoby

• educate the customer about community role and open-source• sometimes it’s appropriate to just open-source the backend parts without UI• community contributions got him noticed

John James Jacoby

• educate the customer about community role and open-source• sometimes it’s appropriate to just open-source the backend parts without UI• community contributions got him noticed• BuddyPress Core contributor

Tips

• bring up open-sourcing early

Tips

• bring up open-sourcing early• if they say no, respect their choice

Tips

• bring up open-sourcing early• if they say no, respect their choice• don’t pass the cost back to the client

Tips

• bring up open-sourcing early• if they say no, respect their choice• don’t pass the cost back to the client• acknowledge the funding

Tips

• bring up open-sourcing early• if they say no, respect their choice• don’t pass the cost back to the client• acknowledge the funding• don’t forget that you can contribute to existing projects as well

Abstraction

Abstraction

FTW!

More FTW = less WTF

The bottom line

• Abstract your code:

The bottom line

• Abstract your code:• Client gets modular, future-proof, understandable code.

The bottom line

• Abstract your code:• Client gets modular, future-proof, understandable code.• Less headaches for you and your team.

The bottom line

• Abstract your code:• Client gets modular, future-proof, understandable code.• Less headaches for you and your team.• Open-source your customizations:

The bottom line

• Abstract your code:• Client gets modular, future-proof, understandable code.• Less headaches for you and your team.• Open-source your customizations:• Client can contribute to WordPress.

The bottom line

• Abstract your code:• Client gets modular, future-proof, understandable code.• Less headaches for you and your team.• Open-source your customizations:• Client can contribute to WordPress.• You become famous.

The bottom line

• Abstract your code:• Client gets modular, future-proof, understandable code.• Less headaches for you and your team.• Open-source your customizations:• Client can contribute to WordPress.• You become famous.

The bottom line

Win!Win!

Win!

Win!

Thank you!Questions?

Slides will be up on mitcho.com/blog/.

mitcho (Michael 芳貴 Erlewine)mitcho.com; @mitchoyoshitaka

http://mitcho.com/blog/

http://mitcho.com/blog/



Abstract Your Code!

Technology

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