{ "uuid": [ { "value": "3c01a9ce-5e01-4edb-9a43-2fd1a02ee8aa" } ], "langcode": [ { "value": "en" } ], "type": [ { "target_id": "daily_email", "target_type": "node_type", "target_uuid": "8bde1f2f-eef9-4f2d-ae9c-96921f8193d7" } ], "revision_timestamp": [ { "value": "2025-05-11T09:00:36+00:00" } ], "revision_uid": [ { "target_type": "user", "target_uuid": "b8966985-d4b2-42a7-a319-2e94ccfbb849" } ], "revision_log": [], "status": [ { "value": true } ], "uid": [ { "target_type": "user", "target_uuid": "b8966985-d4b2-42a7-a319-2e94ccfbb849" } ], "title": [ { "value": "Working backwards\n" } ], "created": [ { "value": "2023-07-25T00:00:00+00:00" } ], "changed": [ { "value": "2025-05-11T09:00:36+00:00" } ], "promote": [ { "value": false } ], "sticky": [ { "value": false } ], "default_langcode": [ { "value": true } ], "revision_translation_affected": [ { "value": true } ], "path": [ { "alias": "\/daily\/2023\/07\/25\/working-backwards", "langcode": "en" } ], "body": [ { "value": "\n
Today, I did a show-and-tell session with my team where I demonstrated an integration I've been working on for a few months and recently released to production.<\/p>\n\n
The simplified workflow is we collate some data, send it to a third-party system for translation, receive the translated file and import the translations into Drupal's translation system.<\/p>\n\n
The first thing I did was not to collate the data and generate the file but to send a minimal, hard-coded version of the contents to the third-party system.<\/p>\n\n
I'd have started with the code to import the translated strings if I hadn't already done this in an earlier spike.<\/p>\n\n
This allowed me to send the file, check the response from the third party and ensure they could work with that file type and my proposed content structure.<\/p>\n\n
If needed, I could have changed direction and avoided investing much time. This wouldn't have been the case if I'd left this until the end of the process.<\/p>\n\n
I also have a working end-to-end test, and I can send a file and get the response I need.<\/p>\n\n
What if I'd written all the code and discovered something wouldn't work?<\/p>\n\n
Now, I can work backwards and start to make the content dynamic.<\/p>\n\n
I can introduce more authentic and complicated data, remove the hard-coded test data, and check that things still work.<\/p>\n\n
I still have the quick feedback loop, as I can always send the data to the third-party system and verify things work as I iterate on my implementation.<\/p>\n\n
With the main pieces of the puzzle in place, I can continue building and filling in the others.<\/p>\n\n
Once I have a complete feature with all the pieces in place, I can refactor as needed.<\/p>\n\n
I still have the same finished puzzle - I just built it in a different order.<\/p>\n\n ", "format": "full_html", "processed": "\n
Today, I did a show-and-tell session with my team where I demonstrated an integration I've been working on for a few months and recently released to production.<\/p>\n\n
The simplified workflow is we collate some data, send it to a third-party system for translation, receive the translated file and import the translations into Drupal's translation system.<\/p>\n\n
The first thing I did was not to collate the data and generate the file but to send a minimal, hard-coded version of the contents to the third-party system.<\/p>\n\n
I'd have started with the code to import the translated strings if I hadn't already done this in an earlier spike.<\/p>\n\n
This allowed me to send the file, check the response from the third party and ensure they could work with that file type and my proposed content structure.<\/p>\n\n
If needed, I could have changed direction and avoided investing much time. This wouldn't have been the case if I'd left this until the end of the process.<\/p>\n\n
I also have a working end-to-end test, and I can send a file and get the response I need.<\/p>\n\n
What if I'd written all the code and discovered something wouldn't work?<\/p>\n\n
Now, I can work backwards and start to make the content dynamic.<\/p>\n\n
I can introduce more authentic and complicated data, remove the hard-coded test data, and check that things still work.<\/p>\n\n
I still have the quick feedback loop, as I can always send the data to the third-party system and verify things work as I iterate on my implementation.<\/p>\n\n
With the main pieces of the puzzle in place, I can continue building and filling in the others.<\/p>\n\n
Once I have a complete feature with all the pieces in place, I can refactor as needed.<\/p>\n\n
I still have the same finished puzzle - I just built it in a different order.<\/p>\n\n ", "summary": null } ] }