Coding Best Practices

Coding Best Practices

This document explains the best practices when writing code for any project in CIT. please note that all of the code samples are written based on Laravel php framework because that’s what we use for most of the projects in CIT, but they are applicable on any other framework too.

1. GET\POST response type

Only return a 200 response when a url is called by GET method, if the request method is anything other than GET (POST, PUT, etc.) the response should be redirect to a GET url. the only exception is when the request is ajax or require Json response.

Right:

<?php

if (Request::isMethod('POST'))
{
	//data validation, manipulation, etc.

	Session::flash('some message');

	return Redirect::to('the/get/url');
}

Wrong:

<?php

if (Request::isMethod('POST'))
{
	//data validation, manipulation, etc.

	return View::make('some.view');
}

2. User Alerts

You can show messages\alerts to users in 2 different ways:

1.Use session flash for simple messages like a successful message:

<?php

Session::flash('success', trans('messages.form.valid.success'));

Session::flash('error', trans('message.form.invalid.error'));

As an standard use ‘success’ and ‘error’ keys for the messages.

2.Return errors with the response:

<?php

if ($validation->fails())
{
	return Redirect::to('url')->withErrors($validation->errors);
}

Use the above method only if you’re using the laravel’s form helper.

Please note that Never return the alerts using the view data:

<?php

return View::make('some.view')->with('message', trans('some.message'));

3. Where to store messages, labels, etc.

Never hardcode user related messages, labels, titles, etc. into the code, except use localization facilities that the framework (Laravel) provides. we have different kind of user related, human readable data that can be stored in different files: messages, labels, titles, validations.

Right:

<?php

Session::flash('success', trans('message.some'));

Wrong:

<?php

Session::flash('success', 'Some message for the user!');

3. Redirect::back is evil!

Use Redirect back only if you’re sure the HTTP_REFERRER header is valid!

<?php

if (URL::previous())
{
	return Redirect::back()

	//or better:
	return Redirect::to(URL::previous());
}
else
{
	Redirect::to('url');
}