37 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
37 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
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---
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title: Smaller modules are more reusable
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date: 2025-02-27
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permalink: daily/2025/02/27/reusability
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tags:
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- software-development
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- drupal
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- open-source
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cta: ~
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snippet: |
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The smaller your library or module is, the easier it is to reuse.
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---
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When you're writing open source code, such as a PHP library or a Drupal module, the larger it is, the harder it can be to reuse.
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Each implementation will have its own requirements and specifics, so why have code that tries to do everything?
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The smaller the code, the more reusable it is.
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The most reusable code I've written have been in smaller modules, like the [System User][0] and [Null User][1] Drupal modules.
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Both are very small and solve a specific problem.
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The Null User module is used by the System User module to provide a default if no system user is defined.
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It could have been part of the System User module, but extracting it into a separate module makes it more reusable.
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It also makes System User leaner, less bloated and more focused on its use case and its own functionality.
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This approach is based on the UNIX philosophy of a program doing one thing well, and chaining programs together when needed to solve a larger problem.
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Then, if you need, you can extend the code in a custom module or add features [by applying patches][2].
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[0]: https://www.drupal.org/project/system_user
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[1]: https://www.drupal.org/project/null_user
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[2]: {{site.url}}/daily/2025/02/24/patch
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