Oxwall Software Documentation

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====== Coding standards ======

If you decided to write code for Oxwall make sure you observe code style standards described in this convention.

You don't HAVE to make your code look fancy to write a great plugin but think how others looking at your code would appreciate if it's written alike the rest of the Oxwall code. All rules in this convention are not taken "because we like it so" but were elaborated with readability, portability, compatibility, fail-safety and general acceptability in mind.

===== General =====
Always use full-form of PHP code tags:
<code php>
<?php
?>
</code>
For files containing only PHP code, the closing tag **//?>//** must be ommitted. 

**//include_once//** and **//require_once//** are statements, not functions. Parentheses should not surround the subject filename.
<code php>
//RIGHT
require_once 'header.php';
//WRONG
require_once('header.php');
</code>

===== Indenting =====
Use **4 spaces** instead of tabs for an indent.
===== Naming conventions =====
==== Filenames ====
<code php>
view.php
base_dao.php
my_super_class.php
</code>

==== Classes ====
<code php>
class MySuperClass
{
    //code here
}

class PREFIX_MySuperClass
{
    //code here
}
</code>
==== Functions ====
<code php>
function connect()
function camelCaseFunction()
function fooBar()
</code>
global functions
<code php>
function my_global_function()
</code>

==== Vars ====
<code php>
public    $myVar;
private   $hisVar;
protected $x;
</code>

==== Constants ====
<code php>
define("MY_MEGA_CONSTANT", "Hello world");
</code>

===== Control structures =====
**//foreach, for, while, if, switch, try, catch//** etc.

There should be one space between the control keyword and opening parenthesis in control statements, which will distinguish them from function calls.

Use curly braces even in case they are optional, as this will make the code more readable and help to avoid logic errors appearing when new lines are added.

==== switch ====
<code php>
switch ( condition ) 
{
    case 1:
        action1();
        break;

    case 2:
        action2();
        break;

    default:
        defaultAction();
        break;
}
</code>

==== if, else ====
Use **//else if//** statement instead of **//elseif//**
<code php>
if ( $a !== $b )
{
    return false;
}
else if ( false )
{
    doSomething1();
}
else
{
    doSomething2();
}
</code>

==== long if statements ====
Split long **//if//** statements onto several lines
<code php>
if ( condition1
    || condition2
    && condition3 )
{
    //code here
}
</code>

==== foreach, for, while ====
<code php>
foreach ( $a as $v )
{
    echo $v;
}
</code>

==== try, catch ====
<code php>
try
{
    //code here
}
catch ( Exception $e )
{
    //code here
}
</code>

===== Function declaration =====
All function names must be in a **camelCase**. Global functions are an exception. They should consist of words in lowercase and underscores.

There should be whitespaces before and after parameter list.

There should be no space between a function name and an opening parenthesis.

There should be a new line before return statement.
<code php>
function fooBar( $param1, $param2 )
{
    if ( $param1 !=== $param2 )
    {
        //code here 
    }

    return true;
}
</code>

You should always declare a type of parameter when possible:
<code php>
function doSomethingGood( MyClass $obj )
{
    //code here
}
</code>

Global function example:
<code php>
function print_var( $var, $echo = false )
{
    //code here
}
</code>

===== Function calls =====
<code php>
myCoolFunction(1, 2, 3);
$this->myCoolMethod(1, 2, 3);
</code>

===== Arrays =====
==== Indexed arrays ====
<code php>
$arr = array ( 1, 2, 'no', 'pain', 'no', 'gain' );
$longArr = array ( 1, 2, 3,
                   4, 5, 6,
                   7, 8, 9 );
</code>

==== Associative arrays ====
<code php>
$assoc = array ( 'key1' => 'value1',
                 'key2' => 'value2',
                 'key3' => 'value3' );
</code>
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